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Courage Krah is a second-year PhD student in the school of management, people and organisation within the faculty of business in Technological University (TU) Dublin.
He is undertaking a project entitled ‘Food Waste in Ireland, Assessment, Environmental & Economic Burden, and Mitigation Strategies’ that will focus its research on quantifying household food waste volumes, assessing the associated environmental and economic burdens and exploring people's habits regarding food waste.
As we know, food waste is a pressing global issue, with far-reaching environmental, social and economic impacts.
It contributes significantly to climate change, accounting for 8% to 10% of greenhouse gas emissions.
The production, processing and transportation of food consumes substantial resources such as land, water and energy. Hence, when food is wasted, all the resources used in bringing food to our tables are wasted too.
48kg of waste per person
In Ireland alone, each household generates approximately 130kg of food waste or 48kg per person. This waste amounts to an average cost of €60 per month or €700 per year for Irish households, totaling a national expenditure of €1.29bn annually.
The Irish Government has pledged to reduce food waste by 50% by 2030, aligning with both the UN sustainable development goals and EU targets.
Mr Krah has a BA in post-harvest technology, which focuses on agricultural engineering and building technologies that prolong the shelf-life of agri produce. However, it is his passion that has led his decision to focus this project on food waste.
My whole life has been about the food waste issue
“My whole life has been about the food waste issue. I am originally from Ghana and we have a lot of produce there, but I’ve seen firsthand that lots of it is wasted.
"I undertook field work in the communities there and I saw the problems. Not even so much in the household, but between the markets and the consumer.
"In my studies for my degree, I focused on social science, but most of the technologies were not being used by final consumers. I was curious to see what’s happening on the consumer side of things,” he said.
He explained that the survey he is undertaking is to measure three main things: how much food consumers are wasting, what they are wasting and attitudes and habits that surround waste.
“Our research focuses on quantifying household food waste volumes, assessing the associated environmental and economic burdens and exploring people's habits regarding food waste.”
Showcase
From the data collected, a data set will showcase the results and a report will be created from this on the environmental and economic impact of household food waste in Ireland under current and different future scenarios.
Mr Krah is hopeful that this research “will contribute to the formulation of relevant policies and enable Ireland to accurately account for its food waste at the European Commission and United Nations levels, aligning with their commitment to achieving the sustainable development goals”.
To help Mr Krah with his project and research, take part in the short 10-minute survey here.
Participants who complete the survey will receive a free e-brochure with valuable food waste management tips.
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