In Dakar this week(31 August – 5 September), the Africa Food Systems Forum 2025 brought together policymakers, business leaders, farmers, researchers, and innovators to debate the future of agriculture on the continent. Among the many sessions, one moment stood out for its clarity of purpose: the launch of the World Resources Institute’s (WRI) new report on food loss and waste (FLW) in Kenya’s maize, potato, fruit, and fish value chains.
The report, produced in partnership with Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology and the Food and Land Use Coalition, placed a spotlight on a challenge that rarely dominates headlines but drains the continent’s food systems every day. Kenya, the study’s focus, loses close to 30 to 40 percent of food before it is consumed, translating into annual economic losses of KES 72 billion (US$578 million). The contradiction is stark: more than 15 million Kenyans, 28 percent of the population, live with food insecurity, while vast quantities of food never leave farms or markets. The launch injected a sharper sense of urgency into the Forum’s agenda, positioning FLW not as a side issue but as a decisive factor in Africa’s food future.
The numbers are difficult to ignore. In maize, which supplies more than a third of Kenya’s calories, losses range between 20 and 36 percent, with storage alone accounting for 70 percent. The drivers are well-documented: rodents, insects, mold, and aflatoxin contamination. In 2005, contaminated maize caused more than a hundred deaths in Kenya. Despite the availability of interventions such as hermetic bags and biological control products, uptake remains slow because of cost and limited awareness.
Potatoes present another layer of the problem; The crop employs 3.5 million people and contributes more than KES 50 billion to the national economy, yet 19 to 23 percent is lost. At harvest, tubers are often cut or bruised by crude tools. During transport, sacks are overfilled and stacked, raising temperatures that accelerate spoilage. By the time potatoes reach retail outlets, poor storage infrastructure ensures that nearly one in ten is discarded. Researchers estimate that for every tone harvested, 200 kilograms are lost, amounting to KES 12.9 billion in losses annually. While improved storage, cold rooms, and better harvesting equipment could cut these figures, many farmers, pressed for cash, choose to sell immediately after harvest rather than invest in such facilities.
The fruit sector shows how uneven investment deepens the divide. Avocados destined for export markets lose only about 15 percent, benefiting from cold chains and strict quality protocols. Domestically traded avocados record losses of up to 35 percent. Mangoes fare even worse, with studies placing losses anywhere from 17 to 56 percent, especially during peak seasons when oversupply overwhelms local markets. Farmers sometimes abandon orchards because they cannot find buyers. Bananas, too, are frequently damaged in transit and left to rot in heaps at markets. The contrast between export and domestic chains highlights how investment in storage and logistics directly determines whether farmers profit or lose.
Read also: Congo signs offshore oil deal with QatarEnergy as African exploration surge continues
For fisheries, the situation is equally uneven. Lake Victoria, with its established networks and markets, reports relatively low tilapia losses of 2 to 4 percent. In contrast, in the harsher climate of Lake Turkana, with little infrastructure and extreme heat, postharvest losses climb to 34 percent. Omena, the small silver cyprinid dried in the sun, suffers losses of up to 7.5 percent during rainy spells and inadequate drying. For fishing communities, these figures translate into both lost income and reduced protein for households already struggling with dietary diversity.
What distinguished this report launch at the Forum was its framing. The authors made clear that food loss and waste is not just about reducing hunger. It is about protecting livelihoods, strengthening economies, and managing environmental risks. Each consignment of spoiled maize represents wasted water, land, and energy. Every pile of discarded mangoes is lost revenue for traders and farmers. Each truck of unsold potatoes adds methane emissions when dumped in landfills. By grounding the discussion in data, the report connected food waste to climate policy, national budgets, and household nutrition.
Read also: Ugandan study finds simple sleeve could double lifespan of Africa’s wooden power poles
Kenya has pledged under the Malabo Declaration to cut postharvest losses by half by 2025, and under SDG 12.3 to halve food waste by 2030. Yet the report found that progress is hampered by inconsistent data, limited funding, and fragmented coordination. Without accurate measurement and targeted interventions, commitments risk remaining rhetorical.
The authors set out five areas for immediate action: improving measurement of FLW, increasing investment in storage and cold chains, tightening policy and coordination, creating circular systems that turn waste into resources such as feed or compost, and integrating FLW reduction into climate strategies. Panelists at the launch connected these recommendations to the Forum’s broader themes of resilience and inclusive growth, noting that waste reduction is one of the most effective tools available for building stronger food systems without clearing new land or increasing imports.
For businesses, the case was presented as both economic and environmental. Reducing waste lowers costs, secures supply chains, and raises efficiency. For farmers, it can mean the difference between surviving and thriving. For governments, it reduces reliance on costly imports. And for the climate agenda, it offers immediate reductions in emissions without waiting for breakthrough technologies.
By the end of the session, the conversation had shifted. Delegates no longer spoke of food loss as a technical issue buried in supply chains but as a central question of governance, investment, and justice. The launch gave the Forum a sharper edge, transforming broad discussions of food security into focused debates on accountability and action.
The 2025 Africa Food Systems Forum will be remembered for its energy around youth entrepreneurship, women-led agribusiness, and commitments to intra-African trade. Yet the WRI report ensured that food loss and waste was placed at the heart of these conversations. By putting numbers to inefficiencies and showing their impact on households, markets, and ecosystems, the report offered a mirror to the continent.
Africa cannot afford to lose a third of its food between field and fork. If Kenya’s lessons are heeded, the continent can unlock enormous gains in nutrition, income, and sustainability. The launch did not just add to the Forum’s agenda, it sharpened it, giving leaders the data and arguments they need to make food loss reduction a continental priority.
Read the report, here.
Read also: AGRA crowns Africa’s top women agripreneurs at 2025 WAYA awards
