Food waste is not just a social issue; it is also an environmental one. In 2022, a fifth of all the food produced globally was wasted, yet many people lacked access to food. According to FAO, 258 million people in 58 countries faced acute food insecurity that year. At the same time, food waste remains a significant contributor to methane emissions, a short-lived greenhouse gas that accelerates global warming, accounting for about 10% total greenhouse gas emissions. 

To address food wastage, farmers must aim to produce enough, not too little and not too much, but sufficient to feed a specific targeted demographic. Where surplus is production occurs and cannot be absorbed by the market, it should be donated to the millions who lack access to nutritious food before it can even become waste. 

Whatever eventually goes bad can still be treated and put to use through various processes, ensuring that even if humans cannot consume it, it can contribute to a secondary system, thereby advancing a zero-waste approach. For instance, organic waste can be fed to black soldier fly larvae, which efficiently convert food waste into ‘organic fertiliser’. Alternatively, it can be composted where space allows. The output from both processes ultimately enhances soil structure and fertility. 

This is exactly what we at CEJAD, in collaboration with Kisumu Waste Pickers Welfare Association (KIWAPWA), the Kisumu County Government, Obunga and Arina Residents Association, are piloting in Kisumu. We are in the process of establishing a pilot organic waste management infrastructure to meaningfully contribute to this important course: the reduction of methane emissions from organic and food waste. We wish to sincerely appreciate the UMI fund for the support in implementing this zero-waste project.