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Potential Impacts on Sub-Saharan Africa of Reducing Food Loss and Waste in the European Union

A focus on food prices and price transmission effects

Year of publication 2015

Pages 64 p.

Author Rural Infrastructure and Agro-Industries Division

Publisher FAO ;

Product type Brochure, flyer, fact-sheet

Edition 1

Synopsis (short abstract) This paper uses scenario analyses to investigate how reductions in food loss and waste (FLW) in the European Union (EU) could influence prices in sub-Saharan Africa – as a source and destination of traded agricultural and food products. In addition to a baseline “business as usual” (BaU) scenario, four scenarios with 50-percent reductions are enacted using the Modular Applied GeNeral Equilibrium Tool (MAGNET). The analysis provides insights on potential impacts in terms of medium- to long-term g lobal and local price changes in sub- Saharan Africa and the mechanisms behind them – changes in production, consumption and trade patterns. It also provides insights into the potential welfare impacts. The research shows that loss or waste of safe and nutritious food for human consumption is being prevented and reduced in the EU concurrent to actions in other regions. The potential intra- and inter-regional impacts on food prices and welfare therefore need to be further researched and projected . The research also shows that high-level considerations of the socio-economic impacts of FLW need to be balanced with value chain analyses that include data on costs related to the prevention and reduction measures to be implemented for short-, mediumand long-term returns on investments along food supply chains, including at the end consumption level.

Language English

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    Food loss and waste (FLW) reduction is an important component in the transformation of the region’s agrifood systems. Addressing the drivers of FLW along value chains provides an opportunity to tackle some of the inherent problems within the NENA region agrifood systems and to contribute to goals such as: boosting incomes and employment, improving access to nutritious food, reducing the climate footprint, and improving the use of scarce natural resources, particularly arable land and water.
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    Improving food security in Sub-saharan Africa by reducing food loss- GCP/RAF/488/NOR 2017
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    The magnitude of food losses remains unacceptably high around the world. In 2011, FAO estimated yearly global quantitative food losses in sub-Saharan Africa at around 20 percent for cereals, 40-50 percent for root crops, fruits and vegetables and 33 percent for fish. Food losses are brought about by wide-ranging managerial and technical limitations in areas such as harvesting storage and transportation. This is a particular problem for small and medium-sized fisheries and agricultural producers. If markets are not accessible or market prices are too low, farmers and fishers may let good products go to waste, with devastating results for producers and consumers alike. Given the emerging consensus among African leaders that investment in agriculture should address the post-harvest sector, it was agreed that food loss reduction interventions should be strengthened and incorporated in national agricultural strategies.
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