Food waste is a global concern that speaks not only to environmental and social wellbeing but also to financial prudence at the household level. In Ghana, an estimated average household food waste generation is about 0.12 kg per person per day in urban areas—and up to 0.2 kg in more affluent communities within Accra and Kumasi metropolitan areas. Reducing this waste offers Ghanaian households a direct route to saving money, feeding more people, and even generating income. The United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization in its 2022 report, stated that one-third of the global food production goes to waste each year. This translates to about 1.3 billion tonnes of food wasted annually, accounting for 8-10 percent of global greenhouse gas production. Let it also be noted that this quantity of food wasted each is enough to feed the entire West African region. In this article, I want to explore five analytical points that show how managing food waste domestically can bolster household income, supported by research from Ghanaian and international institutions.
Quantifying the Hidden Cost of Food Waste
One thing is clear in this regard. Many households and families do not actually mean to quantify the economic effect of food wasted and its impact on their finances. However, research has shown the huge monetary value that is lost from domestic food waste. Research in Accra’s metropolitan area reveals significant disparity in food waste production based on income. High-income households discard about 0.2 kg/person/day, compared to 0.06 kg in low-income areas. With the average person generating ~0.12 kg/day, a five-person household discards approximately 0.6 kg/day—or over 18kg per month. If food costs GH₵10 per kilogram on average. This translates into GH₵180 per month, or GH₵2,160 annually, literally tossed in the bin. Effective waste reduction techniques can reclaim this lost income.
Meal Planning and Improved Storage
This in effect leads to lower expenses. The more we master the attitude of intentional waste cutting, the more money is saved. I dare say that for every grain of rice wasted, there is an economic loss to the person and the country. Strong empirical evidence links better meal planning and food storage practices with reduced food waste. A 2022 study in Accra’s Dzorwulu and Jamestown districts showed that proactive storage measures reduced household food expenditures and improved food security by 43%. Many key strategies to cut food waste include portion control, meal prepping, and proper refrigeration. Others are lowering the desire for impulse buying of foodstuffs, conscious food consumption manners (every grain or piece of food matters), and demystifying our cultural orientation of food preparation in traditional Ghanaian households. These are significant takeaways for households seeking to stretch the cedi further.
Composting and Value Recovery
This is typically what environmental enthusiasts call “From Waste to Wealth”. It literally means that no waste is wasted. Adoption of home composting to transform kitchen waste into valuable soil nutrients (organic fertilizers). This can be used to supplement the fertility needs of household gardens and backyard farms or sold to generate supplemental income for families. If food must be wasted, it must be wasted well. Although most compost studies focus on agriculture, Ghana-specific research indicates strong economic potential. For instance, composting projects in Ghana often demonstrate a cost-benefit ratio of 2:1, meaning GH₵2 benefit for every GH₵1 invested. Additionally, farmers in northern Ghana report increased produce yields and decreased fertilizer costs through organic compost use. Scaling composting even at home offers savings on grocery bills.
Supporting Circular Economy
Generating income through ‘resource recovery’ is another positive step in this fight. This simply means getting back what was wasted in a usable form. Ghana’s broader waste sector is witnessing massive entrepreneurial growth. There is an escalating demand for reclaimed plastics, sachet water bags, biodegradable containers and organic residues for recycling and upcycling. Whereas this happens after consumer waste, domestic food waste initiatives can tie into these markets. Government, NGOs, businesses can set up compost hubs, facilitating community gardens or powering small-scale biogas or black soldier fly operations. These models are already attracting local innovators and can offer household meaningful income prospects.
Community Education and Institutional Support
Effective food waste reduction depends not only on individual behaviour but also on community architecture. The Ghana Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has begun distributing waste-segregation containers to institutional spaces, with plans to expand to homes and markets. Additionally, social enterprises like Food for All Africa recover edible surplus food and redistribute it to vulnerable communities. These efforts not only cut food waste but can also save households money and foster job creation. Improved waste services incentivize households to invest in proper storage, meal planning, and composting, reinforcing both environmental and economic improvements.
Key Takeaways
Ghanaian households lose hundreds and possibly thousands of cedis annually due to avoidable food waste. This will prevent household financial leakages. An efficient meal plan and better storage practices can reduce food bills by 40% or more. Turning wasted food, and kitchen waste into compost, creates fertilizer at no cost, which can be monetized, and also enhances backyard farming and home garden potentials. Also, integrating domestic composting into broader waste recovery systems can generate small amounts of income and incentivize behavioural change. This creates a circular economy impact on households. A deliberate policy to leverage support for municipal assemblies, agencies and NGO programmes like waste segregation and food redistribution can amplify individual efforts and deepen systemic change. Lastly, a conscious national education and sensitization on food waste and its impact on households, environmental and the country as a whole will be a positive tool to cutting the too much waste in the system.
Call to Action
Households can act today to turn food loss into financial gain. Scan your fridge frequently and plan meals to use perishable food on time. Invest in airtight containers and invest in proper storage– leveraging refrigeration where possible. Composting, even in small bins and containers or dugout pits, can convert kitchen scraps into soil nutrients or a small-scale sale product. Though unpopular in Ghana, community food-sharing and compost hubs create learning networks for economic opportunity. Prudent municipal waste services through local environmental or community groups to support segregation and collection programmes are more than urgent.
Food waste is not just an environmental issue. It is a doorstep economic loss and an opportunity. If food must be wasted, it must be wasted well.
The writer:
Richard Sarpong
Below are some publications consulted as part of this publication. I give full credit for their information and data as part of my write-up. Attipoe & ZaiGui, “Assessing the Impact of Household Food Waste… Accra”, Research Journal of Agriculture, 2016 Afriyie et al., “Determinants of Household-Level Food Storage Practices…”, 2022 survey, Accra Compost adoption in Northern Ghana improves yields, Daadi & Latacz-Lohmann, 2020 Abalo, “A Review of the Triple Gains of Waste… Ghana”, Journal of Renewable Energy, 2018 Ghana EPA waste-segregation programmes Elijah Amoo Addo, Food for All Africa, food recovery social enterprise
