Do you know how much food is wasted annually? The FOA reported that 30% to 50% of food never reaches anyone’s plate! Unexpectedly, daily food waste is more than just a waste of food; it is also a waste of people’s efforts to earn. Furthermore, the agricultural sector produces approximately 1300 million tons of agricultural waste annually. This number undeniably represents a significant amount of waste, and in Ghana, they generate an estimated 12,710 tons per day, of which about 60% is organic. This blog discusses how to prevent and reduce food waste and turn it into wealth in Ghana.

Waste originates from a variety of sectors, particularly the food and agro sectors, causing significant distress to many families, especially farmers. They are those who have sold their lives for the high-quality lives of their families, only for their sweat and blood to go to waste when they fail to build a successful farm. Rahatin, a Ghanaian farmer who is illiterate and lacks technical knowledge, shares his heartbreaking story about the wastefulness of his traditional post-harvesting method for fruit.

He owned a mango farm, and this year saw a significant increase in production and better quality compared to previous years. However, he made a mistake by deciding to sell his mangoes at a price higher than the market standard. This decision led to a decrease in sales, as people were reluctant to purchase mangoes at such a high price. Therefore, he had to store the maximum amount of mango, which quickly spoiled and went to waste. His post-harvesting method and these decisions further complicated his situation, resulting in a significant loss and greater sorrow. Now he is thinking about how to survive the rest of this year, and he also lacks the funds to take the proper steps for the mango farming process next year.

Similar to Rahatin, many mango farmers experience an annual loss of approximately $300 million worth of mangos. Not only mango farmers, but also the majority of small-scale farmers in Ghana rely on traditional methods for food storage, resulting in an estimated $1.9 billion in food losses and waste each year. Every year, post-harvest losses of various fruits and vegetables, such as tomatoes, yams, mangoes, citrus, and chilies, result in waste and cause distress to farmers. Ghana loses an estimated 66% of its fruits and vegetables, 40% of its root crops, and 21% of its grains annually. 

So, how can we address this issue and enhance the quality of these farmers?

We can address this problem in two ways: firstly, by preventing waste, and secondly, by converting waste into wealth. To avoid waste, we can implement various strategies, but the most effective approach is to improve post-harvest procedures.

The hot, humid climate in Ghana worsens post-harvest losses. The lack of cold storage facilities affects perishable produce such as tomatoes, mangoes, maize, and more. Many farmers are unaware of the advanced post-harvesting methods; instead, they rely on traditional methods to store their products for long periods. While these methods are not sufficient, the most efficient method is cold storage, which is definitely costly for small-scale farmers.

The cold storage method with an IoT sensor is the most effective one for storing any kind of fruit, crop, or vegetable. Initially, investors or other organizations, not farmers, would initiate this step. So what will be the procedure? Let’s look at it in detail to see how a cold storage with an IoT sensor will work.

After cultivating crops, vegetables, fruits, etc., farmers will immediately sell them to another party, which can be an organization, entrepreneurs, or any investors who would like to build a business line in these sectors—the party will either supply the products to the market or export them. Still, before exporting, they may need to store the products for an extended period. To address this issue, they will have a large cold storage facility that incorporates an IoT sensor. 

This IoT sensor will control temperature based on the different requirements of fruits and vegetables, and it will protect them from bacteria and viruses. It will also detect which will spoil first. This information will go to the center to that party means to that organization or that investors, after getting notification they will try to sell it first which will ensure least wastage besides the farmers will get also notification so that they will get the information already that fruits or vegetables are in the storage which have not sold yet that means he doesn’t need to cultivate that again so it will also reduce wastage by dual cultivation and maintaining a balanced demand – supply chain in the market. 

This step will undoubtedly reduce food waste, ensure long-term storage, ease the challenges farmers face during storage, and maximize profitability for both farmers and investors. This feature will automate humidity and temperature regulation based on sensor readings, analyze data to transfer information, and promptly deliver notifications, thereby reducing waste. This feature will bring immense satisfaction to farmers.

This entire initiative aims to prevent food waste, yet achieving a completely zero waste rate remains a challenging task. So here comes the second step—turning the waste into wealth means rectifying wastages.

This innovative Ghanaian organization has brought a new tide to the building industry by using agro-waste materials to produce environmentally friendly building materials. They exploit residual materials such as rice husks, coconut shells, and sugarcane bagasse to fashion sturdy building materials. For instance, they commonly use sugarcane bagasse for roofing tiles, turn coconut shells into eco-friendly panels, and classify rice husks as lightweight concrete producers. 

Across the world, many growing industries repurpose existing products or waste to create new ones. These businesses are thriving, a testament to how innovation is generating new demands or needs for people, thereby simplifying life. Steps such as Willow Technologies are undoubtedly leading the way in creating successful businesses; furthermore, there are many other opportunities to build a business by transforming waste into wealth. 

1.  Natural composting turns organic waste into nutrient-rich compost. Add this compost to the soil to increase health and fertility. It works well with crop wastes, fruit peels, and vegetable trimmings.

2. Anaerobic digestion produces biogas and digestate from microorganisms breaking down organic materials without oxygen. The digestate can be used as high-quality fertilizer and biogas for heating, energy, and transportation. Anaerobic digestion of organic waste produces biogas, a mixture of methane and carbon dioxide. Biogas provides sustainable energy for cooking, heating, and electricity.

3. Pyrolysis heats organic compounds without oxygen to make biochar, a soil supplement. Biochar promotes soil fertility, water retention, and carbon sequestration, reducing climate change.

4. Crop waste and animal manure can be turned into biofuels like ethanol and biodiesel. This approach generates renewable energy and reduces greenhouse gas emissions.

5. Fertilizers made from agricultural waste include nutrients and helpful microbes. These fertilizers improve soil fertility and plant health. Straw, sawdust, and other agricultural waste can be used to grow mushrooms. This helps farmers control trash and generate income.

6. Animals can be fed food processing byproducts and crop leftovers. This reduces waste and provides cost-effective feed for livestock.

Ghana, a country rich in natural resources and agricultural wealth, has a significant demand for maintaining high-quality post-harvest processes. Farmers continue to use traditional methods, indicating a significant demand for cold storage and the integration of IoT sensors. Despite initiatives, it can be challenging to prevent all waste. However, by transforming waste into products, innovative approaches enable investors and entrepreneurs to create profitable businesses. It offers substantial economic, social, and environmental benefits, making it an attractive opportunity for entrepreneurs and investors.