Voters asked to task presidential candidates on food waste strategies

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Voters have been asked to demand strategies that will reduce food loss and waste in Uganda to be included in the manifestos of the different presidential flag bearers.

The call was made by a Coalition of food safety promoters, under the CASCADE Program of CARE International.

Speaking on behalf of the coalition, Agnes Kirabo from the Food Rights Alliance said that since the campaigns kicked off on the same day as the launch of manifestos for different candidates, voters should be keen to see strategies in place to safeguard Uganda’s food crops.

“The food loss and waste day has happened today, the 29th of September, a monumental day when political parties are putting bids before us as the people of Uganda, we are going to be very keen, by looking through these political manifestos and we see where the hearts and souls of those that seek to lead our country are in as far as things like food are concerned,” Kirabo said.

Her call was backed by Prof. Achilleo Kaaya from the Department of Food Technology and Nutrition at Makerere University, who said that most of the manifestos are filled with promises on health, promises in education, promises in job creation and increasing incomes, including roads.

“But the bulk of the sick are sick because of what they have eaten or what they have not eaten. The poor performance in education grades is not as a result of the Scholastic materials; it is about 60% of children who stay in school without a meal because 41% of the grain goes to waste. We are looking forward to seeing those manifestos and seeing what they have to say about food quantities, but also in quality,” Kaaya said.

Their call follows reports from CARE International, that despite Uganda producing enough food to feed its population, the country loses an estimated 30-50% of its food output before it reaches consumers.

While painting the situation to the media during a press conference on Monday at Africa Innovations Institute, an official from Care International, Daisy Yossa, Consortium manager CASCADE program, said that the systematic food loss and waste represent a silent crisis that costs Uganda millions in lost revenue while perpetuating hunger and malnutrition across the country.

Yossa said that the economic impact is staggering, aflatoxin contamination alone led to Kenya banning Ugandan maize in 2021, costing the country over $121 million in lost export revenue.

Yossa added that smallholder farmers, who form the backbone of Uganda's economy, bear the heaviest burden, because they lose up to 17% of their output value due to inadequate infrastructure and poor handling practices. While children suffer from malnutrition, tons of nutritious food spoil in fields and in inadequate storage facilities nationwide.

"Food loss and waste is not just about poor storage or weak markets, it's a governance challenge that undermines national development and violates the fundamental right to food," Kirabo said.  

She added that when farmers lose significant portions of their harvest due to systemic failures while millions face food insecurity, a crisis is unfolding, and this calls for immediate national action.

Apart from failure in the governance structures, the practices of some farmers at community levels are to blame for the increased food losses and waste.

These include traditional practices across the country, such as: drying grains on bare ground, storing food in non-airtight containers and transporting perishables without cold chains, exposing food to spoilage, contamination and pest damage.