Local setting influences the quantity of household food waste in mid-sized South African towns

PLOS ONE, Nov 2019

The world faces a food security challenge with approximately 868 million people undernourished and about two billion people suffering from the negative health consequences of micronutrient deficiencies. Yet, it is believed that at least 33% of food produced for human consumption is lost or wasted along the food chain. As food waste has a negative effect on food security, the present study sought to quantify household food waste along the rural-urban continuum in three South African mid-sized towns situated along an agro-ecological gradient. We quantified the types of foods and drinks that households threw away in the previous 48 hours and identified the causes of household food waste in the three sites. More households wasted prepared food (27%) than unprepared food (15%) and drinks (8%). However, households threw away greater quantities of unprepared food in the 48-hour recall period (268.6±610.1 g, 90% confidence interval: 175.5 to 361.7 g) compared to prepared food (121.0±132.4 g, 90% confidence interval: 100.8 to 141.3 g) and drinks (77.0±192.5 ml, 90% confidence interval: 47.7 to 106.4 ml). The estimated per capita food waste (5–10 kg of unprepared food waste, 3–4 kg of prepared food waste and 1–3 litres of drinks waste per person per year) overlaps with that estimated for other developing countries, but lower than most developed countries. However, the estimated average amount of food waste per person per year for this study (12.35 kg) was higher relative to that estimated for developing countries (8.5 kg per person per year). Household food waste was mainly a result of consumer behavior concerning food preparation and storage. Integrated approaches are required to address this developmental issue affecting South African societies, which include promoting sound food management to decrease household food waste. Also, increased awareness and educational campaigns for household food waste reduction interventions are discussed.

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Local setting influences the quantity of household food waste in mid-sized South African towns

December Local setting influences the quantity of household food waste in mid-sized South African towns Gamuchirai Chakona 0 1 Charlie M. Shackleton 0 1 0 Department of Environmental Science, Rhodes University , Grahamstown , South Africa 1 Editor: Robert Nerenberg, University of Notre Dame , UNITED STATES The world faces a food security challenge with approximately 868 million people undernourished and about two billion people suffering from the negative health consequences of micronutrient deficiencies. Yet, it is believed that at least 33% of food produced for human consumption is lost or wasted along the food chain. As food waste has a negative effect on food security, the present study sought to quantify household food waste along the ruralurban continuum in three South African mid-sized towns situated along an agro-ecological gradient. We quantified the types of foods and drinks that households threw away in the previous 48 hours and identified the causes of household food waste in the three sites. More households wasted prepared food (27%) than unprepared food (15%) and drinks (8%). However, households threw away greater quantities of unprepared food in the 48-hour recall period (268.6±610.1 g, 90% confidence interval: 175.5 to 361.7 g) compared to prepared food (121.0±132.4 g, 90% confidence interval: 100.8 to 141.3 g) and drinks (77.0±192.5 ml, 90% confidence interval: 47.7 to 106.4 ml). The estimated per capita food waste (5±10 kg of unprepared food waste, 3±4 kg of prepared food waste and 1±3 litres of drinks waste per person per year) overlaps with that estimated for other developing countries, but lower than most developed countries. However, the estimated average amount of food waste per person per year for this study (12.35 kg) was higher relative to that estimated for developing countries (8.5 kg per person per year). Household food waste was mainly a result of consumer behavior concerning food preparation and storage. Integrated approaches are required to address this developmental issue affecting South African societies, which include promoting sound food management to decrease household food waste. Also, increased awareness and educational campaigns for household food waste reduction interventions are discussed. - Data Availability Statement: All relevant data are within the paper and its Supporting Information files. Funding: The research was funded by VW foundation under the Livelihoods Urbanisation and Natural Resources in Africa (LUNA) project through Freiburg University, Germany. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of this manuscript. Competing interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist. Introduction The world faces a food security challenge with approximately 868 million people undernourished and about two billion people suffering from the negative health consequences of micronutrient deficiencies [ 1 ]. Yet, at least one-third of food produced for human consumption is lost or wasted along the food chain between farm and fork [2±7]. Food waste refers to wholesome edible material intended for human consumption, arising at any point in the food supply chain that is instead discarded, lost, degraded or consumed by pests [8]. Food loss is defined as the decrease in food quantity or quality which makes it unfit for human consumption [ 9 ]. According to the European Commission [ 10 ], food waste is composed of raw or cooked food materials such as vegetable peelings, meat trimmings and spoiled or excess ingredients or prepared food as well as bones, carcasses and organs. However, food waste can be measured only for edible products that are directed to human consumption [ 6 ]. Food losses take place at production, postharvest and processing stages in the food supply chain and the food losses that occur at the end of the food chain (retail and final consumption) are called ªfood wasteº [ 11 ]. In our study food waste refers to food losses that occur at the end of the food chain (final consumption at household or consumer level) which include edible products that are directed to human consumption and are discarded when not consumed for various reasons. It is related to consumers' behaviour [ 6,11 ] and it includes food loss before, during or after meal preparation in the household. According to Gustavsson et al. [ 6 ], the annual value of wasted food along the whole food chain is approximately US$ 680 billion in industrialised and US$ 310 billion in developing countries. About 31±40% of all the food produced in the United States is never eaten [ 12,13 ], and in the United Kingdom, consumers discard about one-third of the food they purchase even though more than 60% is still suitable for human consumption [14]. Despite considerable efforts to help in reducing household food waste over the last three years in the United Kingdom, household food waste has increased to 7.3 mi (...truncated)


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Gamuchirai Chakona, Charlie M. Shackleton. Local setting influences the quantity of household food waste in mid-sized South African towns, PLOS ONE, 2017, Volume 12, Issue 12, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0189407