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August 20, 2025
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December 2, 2025
Published
December 29, 2025
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Abstract

Background: Food Loss and Waste (FLW) at the household level presents a growing threat to environmental sustainability across urban areas of Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). This qualitative study examined the causes, patterns, and forms of FLW disposal in Freetown, Sierra Leone, and its environmental implications.


Methods: Twenty-one semi-structured interviews were conducted remotely among lower-middle-income households in Freetown. The study combined convenience and snowball sampling to reach thematic saturation. The data were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis.  


Results: Food loss and waste in Freetown are not a consumerist behavioral problem but rather a problem of scarcity, insecurity, and infrastructure failure. While behaviors such as overbuying and cooking appear remarkably similar to those in high-income countries, the motivations differ significantly. Households used electric freezers for food preservation, but frequent blackouts led to significant food spoilage. In addition, food waste is mixed with general household waste and disposed of illegally.  


Conclusion: This study highlights a significant gap in the localized FLW research in Sierra Leone. It emphasizes the need for integrated policy, infrastructure investment, community education, and awareness campaigns.

Keywords

Food loss and waste environmental sustainability urban Africa municipal solid waste Sierra Leone

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Copyright (c) 2025 Kemoh Saidu Sesay

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Author Biography

Kemoh Saidu Sesay, Shanghai University, China

Kemoh Saidu Sesay is a Master of Arts candidate in International Relations at the College of Liberal Arts, Shanghai University, with a research focus on environmental sustainability, food systems, and waste governance in Sierra Leone and beyond. He holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Mass Communication from Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone. He has over four years of professional experience as a journalist and environmental communicator. His interdisciplinary work bridges media studies and environmental sustainability with a particular interest in how informal household practices challenge dominant global frameworks of food loss and waste.

How to Cite
Sesay, K. S. (2025). Insight into Environmental Sustainability in Freetown Through Household Food Loss and Waste Management. Pan-African Journal of Health and Environmental Science, 4(2), 49–63. https://doi.org/10.56893/ajhes2025v04i02.04
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