STRATEGIES FOR CURBING FOOD WASTE IN NSUKKA LOCAL GOVERNMENT

1.1 Introduction

Food waste is unwanted and thrown away, encompassing both inedible components created during meal preparation and leftovers on visitor plates (Pirani and Arafat, 2016). According to Wang et al. (2018), food waste estimates from the hospitality sector should not include inedible food components such bones and peels; instead, the focus should be on preventing food waste (Parfitt et al., 2005). Many food service companies are reluctant to work with scientific groups because they are worried about the possibly inappropriate use of such sensitive data (Filimonau et al., 2021).

This chapter will address the background information that motivated this study, the challenges that prompted it, its aim, and its objectives as a preface to subsequent sections of the study. Additional factors include the study's significance, scope, limitations, research questions and hypotheses, and the definition of technical terms.

1.2 Background of Study

Food Waste management or food waste disposal are all the activities and actions required to manage waste from its inception to its final disposal. This includes amongst other things collection, transport, treatment and disposal of food waste together with monitoring and regulation. It also encompasses the legal and regulatory framework that relates to food waste management encompassing guidance on recycling. Food Waste can take any form that is either solid, liquid, or gas and each have different methods of disposal and management. Food Waste management normally deals with all types of waste whether it was created in forms that are industrial, biological, household, and special cases where it may pose a threat to human health. It is produced due to human activity such as when factories extract and process raw materials. Food Waste management is intended to reduce adverse effects of waste on health, the environment or aesthetics.

According to Filimonau et al. (2019), although food waste is a major challenge for the hospitality industry worldwide, it is surprising that the problem has still not been investigated adequately, which hinders effective management in this area. Despite the large scale of food waste in the food services sector, according to Filimonau and De Coteau (2019), this problem still draws little and insufficient attention from researchers, which translates into a small number of publications in this area. Among other things, the collection of primary data proves problematic. Another reason for the reluctance to cooperate are staffing problems in food services establishments, which results in any additional activity putting an extra burden for staff.

The amount of food disposed by individuals varies significantly, with waste increasing as disposable incomes rise. For individuals tossing food is money down the drain. Bloom (2010) estimated that the average American household throws out up to US$2,200 a year. This wasted food finds way into landfills, creating the greenhouse gas methane and other heterogeneous gases which is a significant concern for society. Economic concern is that this doesn’t account for the wasted energy, water, labor, and other inputs that go into growing, processing, and transporting food from farm houses to consumers. While reducing consumer-generated waste is unlikely to increase the availability of food for the needy, many experts contend it is irresponsible to waste so much food when so many people are struggling to find enough to eat. It is urgent to help Ghanaian consumers cut down on household food waste, although is not easy given entrenched habits and norms, but it is possible. A significant contribution and awareness from food retailers and producers is increasingly looking at ways to help individuals minimize household food waste, use food that is still wholesome, and finally, encouraging composting of food that won’t be consumed.

Waste is a direct consequence of all human activities which is generated universally. Waste includes materials which are discarded rejected as worthless, unwanted and no longer useful in the economy. Waste can be describe as rubbish, trash, garbage, junk, refuse, waste is a materials which can be generally classified into liquid, solid, and gaseous, solid waste is discarded as longer being useful in the economy, it consists of organic and inorganic matter in a wide variety of forms, liquid waste may be in form of fluids such as waste water, fat oil or grease oil and hazardous, Gaseous waste comprises gases and small particles emitted from fires, incinerators e.t.c. waste can loosely define as any materials that is considered to be of no further use to the owner and is hence discarded.

Waste may be disposed of in a variety of ways, including landfills, recycling, and incinerators. The majority of food sellers choose the easiest, most efficient method of disposing of their garbage dumping it into a rubbish bin or large container and ladling filler. Wastes are often unhygienic, harmful to human health, and can pollute the environment, especially liquid waste (waste unclean water). Food scraps, food scraps, food particles, broken plates, glass cups, nylon, clean water, foil, and so forth are just a few of the numerous additional clearly identifiable trash from food vendors.

Therefore, in Nigeria where the research was carried out, the activities that was conducted is to assess the Strategies for Curbing Food Waste.

1.3 Statement of Problems

Investigation revealed that the many organizations that struggle to provide food to those who need it, i.e. food bank and soup kitchens, while an alarming amount of viable food is wasted daily by restaurants. The problem that is of concern to this study is the various problems food vendors often face in managing their waste and the strategies put in place for the purpose of effective and adequate method of disposing such waste. Hence, this research tends to find out the possible strategies required for curbing food waste in the study area.

1.4 Aim and Objectives of Study

The aim of the study is to assess the Strategies for Curbing Food Waste in Nsukka Local Government, Enugu State. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out as follows:

1. To examine the effects on the environment and economic impacts of food waste generated;
2. To provide insight into the effective management of food wastes by vendors;
3. To investigate how food waste can be transformed into financial gain;
4. To assess the factors that cause food waste in organisational productivity; and
5. To determine the socio economic class in the study area that contributes to wasting the most amount of food.

1.5 Research Questions

The study came up with research questions so as to be able to ascertain the above stated objectives. The specific research questions for the study are stated below as follows:

• Are there factors that cause food waste in organisational productivity?
• How can food waste be transformed into financial gain?
• What are the reasons for food wastage in the area under study?
• What are the effects on the environment and economic impacts of food waste generated?
• What is the socio economic class in the study area that contributes to wasting the most amount of food?

1.6 Research Hypothesis

In order to pursue the objective of this study, the following generalized statements have been designed to guide and aids in obtaining the result for the experiment to be conducted. For this work, the null hypothesis will be represented with H0 while the alternative hypothesis will be represented with hypothesis H1.

Hypothesis One

• H0: Food wastage does not significantly affect organizational productivity in the area under study
• H1: Food wastage significantly affects organizational productivity in the area under study

Hypothesis Two

• H0: There is no significant factor that causes food wastage in an industry
• H1: There is a significant factor that causes food wastage in an industry

1.7 Significance of Study

The significance of the study is that the hotels were making losses rather than profit and considering shutting down the restaurant section as a result of food that gets wasted and customers get stranded when they need food. The study is that the food wasting problems among the hotels can be reduced drastically if they employ qualify personnel, upgrade their kitchen and storage facilities to a standard, educate customers on food wasting, operate a customer-friendly food policies and food specialties.

This research will also shed light on the importance of food vending waste in the society through the use of research method such as observation, interview and also useful for further research in knowing the problems, regulation that guide food vendors in disposal of their waste.

Furthermore, the study will be beneficial to researchers who intend to know more on this study and can also be used by non-researchers to build more on their research work. This study contributes to knowledge and could serve as a guide for other study.

1.8 Scope of Study

The scope of the research is focused on the Strategies for Curbing Food Waste in Nsukka Local Government, Enugu State.

1.9 Limitations of the Study

During the course of this study, there were some problems encountered which stood as limitations to the research work. Some of the limitations include:

1. Time Constraint:The time frame given to accomplish this project was very short due to school academic calendar and it was carried out under pressure which made the researcher not to implement some necessary features.
2. Research Material: availability of research material is a major setback to the scope of the study.
3. Financial Constraint: Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview).
4. Initial Cooperation Delay from Respondents: A particular limitation of this work came as a result of the respondent refusal to offer their cooperation at the initial time they were contacted. This contributed in making the success of this research study difficult.

1.10 Operational Definition of Terms

Food vending:

It is the process of selling of food on the street e.g. Fast food, food joint etc.

Incinerator:

It is a container which is closed on all side for burning waste at high temperature.

Waste Management Authority:

It can be directed to (VIWMAs) waste management authority wastewater treatment plants for treatment and disposal. Wastewater treatment plants do not accept any liquid other than wastewater.