Key Factors Influencing Sustainable Management of Food Waste in Africa: Household, Retail, and Industrial Perspectives

Food waste poses a growing global challenge to sustainable development.While progress is being made toward halving food waste by 2030, various factors such as income level, urban population, and the Human Development Index lead to discrepancies in national food waste management strategies.Extensive research has been conducted on these factors in developed nations but remains limited in developing regions.Therefore, this study examined key influences on food waste management in Africa by analyzing qualitative and quantitative data collected from the 2024 Food Waste Index and related policy frameworks promoting sustainable food waste management.The findings revealed that households in Africa contribute significantly to food waste, primarily owing to over-purchasing and spoilage; the retail sector generates 5-15%, primarily from efforts to meet aesthetic standards, and industrial waste generates 10-20%, primarily through processing inefficiencies.Tunisia, Egypt, and Tanzania significantly exceeded the global average per capita food waste of 81 kg.In contrast, South Africa, Zimbabwe, and the Democratic Republic of Congo reported much lower levels, and Mauritius had the lowest per capita food waste at 8.97 kg.This study determined that the gross domestic product per capita, Global Innovation Index rank, population size, and Environmental Performance Index significantly influenced waste management strategies, with the last showing a notable regression coefficient of 119.69.This regression coefficient shows a strong link between environmental governance and waste management.Higher EPI scores improve waste strategies, emphasizing the need for policies, infrastructure, and innovation.These findings underscore the need for targeted interventions in household food waste reduction, emphasizing policies and strategies that address economic and environmental drivers to enhance sustainable waste management practices.