Food waste and spoilage remain a big problem across the world.
“According to The Rockefeller Foundation, up to 33 percent of all the food that is produced is never consumed— a staggering loss that would have fed the nearly 800 million people who are food insecure or undernourished worldwide.
Across Africa, the food waste crisis is worse. On a continent where the majority of people derive their livelihood from agriculture, up to 50% of fruits and vegetables, 40% of root crops and 20% of cereals are lost during the post-harvest or processing stage.
Currently, more than 20 million people in northeast Nigeria, South Sudan, and Somalia are facing starvation. Yet, half of all the staple food in the continent is lost in the post-harvest stage or before they hit the market.
Interestingly, there is a growing number of African-made, low-tech, and affordable cooling units that could significantly reduce the outrageous losses due to food waste and spoilage on the continent.
One of these African-made products is FreshBox, a solar-powered, walk-in cold room that provides retailers with storage facilities to preserve perishable products, like fruits and vegetables.
Operating for five months, the project offers vendors and farmers refrigeration services for 70 Kenyan shillings ($0.68) a crate per day.”
Read the full article at Quartz Africa
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