Elizabeth Wafula

Postharvest loss of perishable fruits and vegetables is a significant challenge which can be mitigated by processing them into shelf stable products. This study investigated the knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) on consumption as well as drivers for consumer demand of selected raw and processed fruits and vegetables among low-income consumers and retailers in Kenya. Mango, tomato and indigenous green leafy vegetables and their corresponding processed products, mango juice, tomato paste and cereal flour with dried milled indigenous green leafy vegetables, were the focus of this study. A cross-sectional survey was undertaken in urban, peri-urban and rural areas of Central, Coast, Eastern and Nairobi regions. Purposive sampling was used to select sixteen sites predominantly inhabited by low-income consumers. Simple random walk technique was used to sample 1,281 households and 176 retailers. Semi-structured questionnaires were employed to collect qualitative and quantitative data. The results obtained indicated a stronger consumer preference for fresh over processed fruits and vegetables. Nevertheless, respondents acknowledged benefits of processing including shelf life extension and nutrient conservation. Respondents had a high acceptability for processed products with attributes such as ‘natural taste’, ‘high nutritional value’ and ‘safe’. Almost all sampled households dedicated 28 to 38% of their total food budget to purchase fruits and vegetables. To represent both willingness and ability to purchase mango juice, tomato paste and cereal flour with dried milled indigenous leafy green vegetables, a composite indicator referred to as ‘consumer demand index’ was developed. The significant factors influencing the consumer demand indices for the processed fruits and vegetables included rural-urban continuum classification i.e. urban, rural or peri-urban, type of occupation, educational level, gender and age of household head. Consumer demand was a key motivation in retailers’ stocking decisions, yet this was not reflected in the retail stocking practices for cereal flour with dried milled indigenous leafy green vegetables. The findings provide market intelligence for processors and distributors of value-added products such as mango juice, tomato paste and cereal flour fortified with indigenous green leafy vegetables. Strategic decisions can be made to align product development and marketing with preferences and economic realities of the low-income segment.

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12.3 and the Malabo Declaration both address the critical issue of food loss and waste (FLW), but they differ in scope, timelines and regional focus. While SDG 12.3 provides a global framework and target of 2030, the Malabo Declaration reflects Africa’s pressing need to reduce FLW by 2025. Despite these targets and focus on FLW reduction by the global community, high FLW of fruits and vegetables continues to persist in many parts of Africa due to systemic constraints related to limitations in governance, financing and knowledge. It is estimated that up to 50% of nutritious fruits and vegetables are lost and yet supply hardly meets demand. The objective of this review was to identify the causes of FLW as well as possible solutions to reduce FLW in three fruit and vegetable values chains in East Africa. These three fruit and vegetable value chains were categorized as (i) “exotic, produced all year round, highly perishable and very inexpensive”, (ii) “exotic and indigenous, seasonal production, somewhat perishable and somewhat expensive” and (iii) “indigenous, produced all year round, extremely perishable and inexpensive”, represented by tomatoes, mangoes and indigenous leafy green vegetables, respectively. The upstream (farmer to market place) and downstream (market place to fork) causes of FLW are discussed and their respective solutions are suggested. The solutions provided herein are not only economically viable but also practical and can be adopted for the reduction of FLW in fruit and vegetable value chains in East Africa. This approach could result in the simultaneous increase of the access and affordability of fruits and vegetables for low-income consumers in East Africa.