Preventing food waste in traditional Nigerian and Kenyan markets

Nimo Muthike, Julia Hammann and Fadila Jumare

SECTOR

Financial Inclusion

PROJECT TYPE

Field and Lab Experiments

DOI

Location

Kenya | Nigeria

BEHAVIORAL THEME

Salience | Simplicity | Urgency

OVERVIEW

Addressing Food Waste in the Vendor and Consumer Journey
The goal for this was to explore the various stages of the vendor and consumer journey in relation to food waste. We identify key points where food waste occurs and provide potential recommendations to address this issue. Our focus is on two countries, Nigeria and Kenya, highlighting their unique challenges and opportunities. The aim is to understand whether vendors and consumers consider less visually appealing food (LVAP) in the individual purchase decisions and if this as a result leads to waste.

THEMATIC AREAS

Sensitizing Consumers on LVAP

It is important to educate consumers to recognize LVAP as edible and improve the market experience by highlighting hygienic practices and vendor appearance. Our recommendations include;

Targeted education for male vendors in Nigeria, considering local regulations and location-specific interventions, and addressing gender-based differences.
Understanding and utilizing behavioral mechanisms such as the decoy effect, halo effect, and framing effect can help reduce food waste by influencing consumer perception and encouraging the consumption of less visually appealing produce (LVAP).
Enhancing the appeal and perceived quality of LVAP can be achieved through improved hygiene practices, appealing packaging, and positive renaming.

By implementing these interventions and addressing challenges throughout the vendor and consumer journey, significant progress can be made in reducing food waste in Nigeria and Kenya.