This article is part of Busara’s Tafakari 2026 yearbook. You can download the whole yearbook here.
Picture a bustling market on a warm afternoon. Stalls full of tomatoes, greens, fruits, and bread. Customers picking, bargaining, and moving on. It’s a beautiful dance of supply and demand, until the end of the day, when piles of unsold, perfectly edible produce end up in the bin. Not because vendors don’t care, but because they have to make decisions without certainty. Will it rain? Will customers come? Will those peaches ripen too quickly?
Food waste in markets isn’t just about discarding items. It’s about the tricky business of predicting what can’t really be predicted, and that’s a lesson that stretches far beyond the market stall.
We already know waste is harmful to the environment. Every mango tossed represents water, transport, and energy used to bring it there. However, in markets, waste also means real economic loss. Vendors lose income, and customers lose trust when they are sold aesthetically imperfect produce.
And yet, vendors must continue stocking. No one wants to run out early and lose a sale. So they buy a little extra, and that’s where the challenge begins: how do you balance abundance with uncertainty?
Flexible planning: a skill markets master every day
One of the most valuable lessons from studying food waste in markets, as we do in our research on food waste funded by the Posner Foundation, is that planning isn’t about being perfect. It’s about staying flexible.
Markets operate on instinct and rhythm. A vendor might know that Fridays are busier, that cool weather slows sales, or that a specific crop won’t last beyond the day. But no plan survives contact with reality. A sudden rainstorm or a festival can disrupt operations.
Good vendors adapt fast. They adjust pricing, make quick deals near closing time, or team up with neighbors to share surplus inventory. They’re problem-solvers in real time, not perfectionists. And that’s exactly the kind of skill many of us need in other parts of life.
In markets, “waste” doesn’t always look like a spoiled tomato. Sometimes it’s just a tomato at the wrong time, in the wrong place. But with a bit of creativity, that “extra” can still have value:
- Vendors can sell in bulk at the end of the day.
- Surplus can be donated, preserved, or turned into other products.
- Customers can be encouraged to buy what’s fresh and available rather than what’s aesthetically-perfect.
This kind of thinking, seeing value in what’s already here instead of only chasing the ideal, is powerful. It’s the same mindset that helps businesses, communities, and even individuals make better use of their resources during uncertain times.
You don’t need a grand system overhaul to make a dent in market waste. Small, smart moves can have real impact:
- Vendors could use flexible pricing or “imperfect produce” deals.
- Customers can learn to buy what they’ll actually use, not just what looks nice.
- Vendors, processors, and local charities can coordinate better to redirect surplus.
In fact, our research uncovered that encouraging customers with gain-framed messaging (communications that emphasise the positive aspects of something) on nutritional value, taste, and value-added opportunities of aesthetically imperfect produce can increase their willingness to pay by 22 per cent. These changes cut waste but and build resilience. A market that wastes less is stronger, more efficient, more trusted, and more adaptable.
A market mindset for uncertain times
Food waste in markets is a mirror. It reflects the daily dance between supply, demand, and uncertainty. And it shows us something important: when you can’t control everything, you get good at making the most of what you’ve got.
That’s a lesson that stretches far beyond the market square. Whether it’s in business, community projects, or personal life, the same principles apply:
- Plan flexibly, not rigidly.
- Value what’s at hand, not what’s ideal.
- Adapt quickly when the unexpected happens.
So the next time you move through a bustling market and notice a vendor offering last-minute bundles, or two stallholders teaming up to sell what they have left, pause for a second. In those simple exchanges lies something powerful: human resilience quietly at work amid uncertain times.
And the next time life feels stormy or unpredictable when you’re unsure what tomorrow holds, remember those same principles: flexibility, connection, and the courage to adjust. Notice where they show up in your own world. Whether we’re talking about food systems, the climate, or our personal lives, the answer isn’t perfection. It’s learning to bend without breaking. It’s adapting. That is how we thrive together through turbulent moments and into calmer ones.
References
- Jumare, F., Muthike, W., Hammann, J., & Kuria, N. (2025). Preventing food waste in Kenyan and Nigerian markets. In Proceedings of the 3rd Global Conference on Agriculture pp. 32–61. Science, Engineering and Technology Conferences.
- Jumare, F., Muthike, W., & Hammann, J. (2023, June 12). Preventing food waste in traditional Nigerian and Kenyan markets. Busara Center for Behavioral Economics. https://busara.global/our-works/food-waste/
- Jumare, F., Schun, L. & Jain, J. (2025). Behavior Change Interventions Toolkit for Reducing Food Waste in Sub-Saharan Africa [Toolkit]. Busara Centre for Behavioral Economics. https://busara.global/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Posner-Practitioners-Toolkit-Nov-2025-WEB.pdf
Fadila Jumare is a Project Associate in FARM (Food, Agriculture, and Resilience Management) and a true spark within our Nigeria team. Her tenacity and problem-solving approach to work make every project she works on lighter for the team around her.
