I recently attended the Kenyan chapter of the Food Systems Stocktaking Summit, a convening that provided a rich platform to assess progress in transforming food systems across the globe.
Among the many thought-provoking discussions, one stood out for me: the role of social behaviour and cultural norms in perpetuating food loss and waste.
One delegate recounted a curious but familiar anecdote: Clearing your plate completely is frowned upon in some communities.
Finishing all your food may even raise eyebrows because doing so shows disregard for pets like dogs, traditionally seen as the recipients of leftovers.
At social events like weddings, success in feeding the attendants is often measured by the amount of food that remains uneaten, and not by the quality of the food.
This reflection isn’t unique—it’s widespread. It brings a critical but often overlooked dimension of our food systems: behaviour.
The food loss and waste paradox is unacceptable in a country grappling with food insecurity, climate-related shocks, and economic constraints.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (Fao), roughly one-third of the food produced globally is either lost or wasted. In Kenya, post-harvest losses alone account for nearly 30-40 percent of all food produced, and the cultural practices that encourage waste deepen this crisis.
The environmental toll of food waste is equally alarming. When food is discarded, it often ends up in landfills, decomposing and emitting methane—a greenhouse gas more than 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide over a 100-year period.
Our waste bins have become silent contributors to climate change, with every spoiled tomato or untouched plate of rice releasing emissions that heat the planet.
Fighting food waste, therefore, is not just about efficiency or ethics—it’s essential climate action.
Yes, investments in cold chains, improved storage, and resilient infrastructure are crucial. But equally important is a mindset shift—a re-evaluation of our everyday habits and inherited beliefs. We must foster a culture that values food as sustenance and a finite resource produced with labour, water, land, and energy. In a time when climate change is tightening its grip, wasting food is not just inefficient—it’s immoral.
Behavioural change interventions have been successfully applied in other areas, such as public health, sanitation, and energy conservation. It’s time we applied similar tools to reshape how we produce, consume, and think about food.
This means public campaigns that elevate the issue, the introduction of school curricula that teach food ethics to children, and community dialogues that question and address outdated practices.
Imagine a future where we measure the success of our events not by how much food we discard but by how well we plan and share, where children are taught that finishing food is a sign of gratitude, not greed, where waste bins are replaced with composting stations and dog bowls with purposeful leftovers.
The food waste problem is not just technical—it is cultural. That means we must engage not just policies but people.
The writer is a climate action enthusiast and a communications specialist at Windward Communications Consultancy.
