Each year about 1.3 billion tons of food is wasted and at
the same time about 800 million people do not have access to sufficient and
nutritious food (Global FoodBanking Network, 2014). This figure represents
roughly one third of food produced for human consumption. Food can be either
lost or wasted throughout the supply chain, from initial agricultural
production down to final household consumption (FAO, 2011).
The Cost of Hunger
in Ghana report by the National Development Planning Commission in 2016 shows
that Ghana loses GH¢ 4.6 billion which is equivalent to 6.4 per cent GDP annually to
hunger among children and 24% of all child mortality cases in Ghana are
associated with under nutrition.
The difference between losses and waste lies in the supply
chain stage where food is no longer usable for human consumption. Loss occurs
when food does not reach the final consumer due to improper handling, packing
and storage. Such foods are not suitable for human consumption and only have a
marginal value to be transformed as low cost fertilizers and fuel.
Waste occurs when the product that reached the final
marketplace is not consumed due to improper consumer behavior, bad storage
practices as well as to the lack of coordination between different stakeholders
in the supply chain. Food and Beverage Association of Ghana estimates shows it
members loss over GH¢200,000 every month to food waste.
In many cases, fresh products are rejected by large
supermarket chains if they do not meet certain quality standards such as shape,
size and appearance, regardless of their suitability for human consumption. In
addition, many retail chains discard products before their expiring dates
claiming that the products either are unsellable or generate negative image to
the retailer.
Consumer’s attitudes and the consumption culture also play their
part as they reject food that is in good condition but with “not-so-good”
appearance. Foods that have reached households are also wasted because they
turn unsuitable for human consumption. Restaurants and hotels are other
stakeholders within the food waste menace, because of the large portions served
to customers. Since not all the portion is consumed, the rest will end up in
the garbage bin.
The role of the local governments in setting up measures and
regulations towards food donation is very critical in ensuring reduction of
food waste and hunger in society.
The PNDCL 3058 Food and Drugs Act.1992 does not make
explicit provision for food donations which has resulted in little contribution
towards reducing hunger in Ghana by some stakeholder’s within the food supply
chain.The Ghana School Feeding Programme been an initiative of the
comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP) Pillar 3 which
seeks to enhance food security and reduce hunger in line with the United
Nations (UN) Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) on hunger, poverty and
malnutrition had since 2007 been implemented to encourage child enrollment
through the provision of one meal per
day.
Currently the National School Feeding program faces challenges such as
expansion and caterers demand for increase of the cost from Gh¢0.80p per child
however with a National Food Donors Encouragement Act, private stakeholder businesses
in Ghana will donate their excess towards the program.
A lot of initiatives have been launched in Ghana by public,
private and civil stakeholders towards improving child under nutrition and
hunger in Ghana however little or no attention has been drawn on the role of
food recovery and redistribution as a tool towards addressing the problem of
hunger and the inefficiencies within our food supply chain.
A study by Food for All Africa programme between 2015-2016
showed that 92% of stakeholders in Ghana’s food supply chain agreed that, with
a national regulation mechanism they
would want to donate their excess food to the vulnerable rather than waiting for it to go waste and
dispose off.
Donors often fear that they will be held legally responsible
if recipients of donated food become ill, and this fear discourages them from
donating. However, with the National Food Donors Encouragement laws that
protect food donors from liability.
The National Food Donors Act will protect persons or gleaners making good faith donations of food or
grocery products to non‐profit charitable organizations such as orphanages,
schools and vulnerable communities are protected. A “gleaner” is someone who
harvests donated agricultural crops.
Non‐profit organizations that receive the donated food, and
ultimately distribute the donations to those in need are also covered.
Private businesses donating their excess food products or
resources towards creating sustainable means of nutrition for the vulnerable in
society. Tax incentives must be given to amount donated.
Good faith/CSR donations, made to non‐profit organizations,
ultimately going to those in need are protected.
The donations must be:
1) “Apparently wholesome” food.
(2) “Apparently fit” grocery products.
These items meet the PNDCL 3058 Food and Drugs Act, local
labeling and quality standards but may not be readily marketable because of
factors like age, appearance, freshness, grade, or size.
Slightly flawed partially complying donations, made in good
faith, are also protected if:
(1) The donor informs the non‐profit of the item’s
condition;
(2) The non‐profit knows the standards required to make the
item conform;
(3) The non‐profit agrees to recondition the item to meet
those standards.
These flaws can include broken packaging or missing labels,
or items needing washing or trimming before distribution. Acceptance of such
items helps use edible food that might otherwise be thrown away due to a
technicality.
How are donors protected?
If the donation is made in good faith (honestly and with
sincere intentions), the National Food Donors Encouragement Act will exempt
those donors from civil or criminal liability which might arise from the donation’s
nature, age, packaging or condition. The law will also protect donors of food
that is “fit for human consumption,” regardless of compliance with food
labeling/ packaging laws and storage/handling by the recipients.
When are donors not protected?
Liability arises if a food donor or recipient organization
knows that their actions will harm or are likely to harm the recipient, and
consciously acts anyway – i.e., gross negligence or intentional misconduct.
Under the Food Donors Encouragement bill, gross negligence
is a much higher standard than ordinary negligence. Gross negligence should
mean that a donor (or recipient organization) knew when it acted that its
conduct was likely to harm someone else, and consciously acted (or failed to
act), regardless of that knowledge.
Under the Bill, Intentional misconduct means a donor (or
recipient organization) deliberately acted with knowledge that its actions
would be harmful to others.
Why donate?
Donation of surplus food connects those in need with edible
food that would otherwise be sent to landfills. 3 out of 5 children out of the
90,000 street children in Accra who are out of school run away from orphanages
due to lack of regular means of nutrition. These people are part of the city’s
population that does not have sufficient access or resources available to
obtain and consume enough nutritious food to support a healthy life.
In Ghana,1 out of 4 children goes to bed hungry (UNICEF
,2015) at a time when 45% of food goes
uneaten and much of that contributes to the over 15 million tons of food that
ends up rotting in landfills. Connecting hungry people with available food
helps combat both of these critical problems.
Donations also create savings for donors by lowering the
costs of food disposal and the opportunity for charitable food donation tax
deductions.
Why Food for All Ghana Programme?
Food for All Ghana programme makes the surplus food donation
process easy, by picking up and transporting food and grocery item donations to
the places and programs that need them. This helps valuable programs stretch their
limited budgets during a time of decreasing government and foundation funding,
keeps edible food out of landfills, and most importantly, helps hungry people
have better access to a nutritious meal. Food for All Africa has since 2015
been operating West Africa’s first community food support centre and have
created a forum for stakeholder’s within
Ghana’s food supply chain to work
together towards reducing hunger in Ghana and accelerate Ghana’s effort in
attaining the UN SDG 2 and 12.
Considering the outcome of research and report from the 1st
Food for All Ghana conference held in 2016, the need for a nationwide
protection offered by a National Food Donors Encouragement Act, the valuable
incentives for reducing hunger and wasting food, and the ease of expanding the
National Food feeding program, Food for All Africa programme on 15th June, 2017
will launch a two year’s multi-stakeholder National campaign for the passage of
the Food Donors Encouragement Bill.
*Elijah Amoo Addo, Executive Director contributed this from Accra, Ghana
... Linking agrobiz, sustainable environs, people & technology
Pix: Food for all campaign on food donation bill in Ghana.
