“We grow it, we waste it, then we import it at twice the price. Africa’s food crisis isn’t about soil, it’s about systems.”
— Decode Daily
If you’ve ever stood in a Lagos market and wondered why bell peppers cost more than your ride home, you’re not alone. It’s one of Africa’s quiet scandals: we grow what we eat, but somehow, we still import it.
Today’s story is a deep dive into one of the biggest contradictions on the continent—why tomatoes rot in Jos while Shoprite imports them from Egypt. It’s not just a farmer’s problem. It’s your problem too—whether you’re a tech bro, chef, policymaker, or price-weary shopper.
This isn’t just about agriculture. It’s about logistics, infrastructure, broken systems, and missed opportunities. It’s also where future solutions—and fortunes—will be made.
Let’s decode it.
NoOrdinary Eyitemi
Editor-in-Chief, Decode Daily
The Gist
In Nigeria, and across countries like Kenya and Ghana, supermarkets, fast-food chains, and hotels are importing basic produce like tomatoes, onions, and peppers from Egypt, Italy, and even India. Meanwhile, local farmers often can’t sell their harvest and end up dumping or watching it rot.
It’s not because we aren’t producing enough. It’s because we can’t move or store what we grow.
Why It Should Concern You
This broken supply chain affects more than rural farmers. It affects you, the urban professional who’s paying 3–5x more for food.
It affects job seekers in agritech, logistics, cold chain solutions, and even software. It affects startups trying to disrupt traditional markets. It even affects how we talk about economic resilience and food security in policy.
Despite being one of the largest producers of tomatoes in Africa, Nigeria spends over $360 million annually importing tomato paste, a product we could process locally if infrastructure worked.
..And while your suya spot is charging more, 50% of fresh produce in Nigeria never makes it to market. That’s not a production issue. That’s logistics failure.
Behind the Problem:
Here’s what’s really going on:
- Post-harvest losses: As much as ₦3.5 trillion ($9 billion) worth of food is wasted annually due to poor storage, transport, and access to markets.
- Storage gap: Only 5% of African farms have cold storage. No cooling = fast spoilage.
- Transport issues: Poor roads delay trucks carrying fresh produce. By the time they arrive in cities like Lagos, it’s already spoiled.
- Certification hurdles: Hotels and retailers demand quality and consistency that many local farmers can’t meet so they buy imports instead.
- Middlemen squeeze: Farmers often sell at a loss while middlemen and retailers hike prices for profit. Everybody eats but the farmer.
Why It’s Bigger Than Tomatoes
This is a system-level issue. Africa’s food crisis is a logistics and trust crisis, not a productivity one. Fixing it could:
- Slash food prices for everyone
- Raise farmer incomes
- Unlock new markets for logistics, agritech, and storage innovators
- Reduce import dependency
- Create jobs in rural areas and cities alike
It’s not just about Jollof. It’s about whether Africa can feed itself without going broke.
Food for Thought
If you’re in logistics, agritech, retail, finance, or even software, this is your signal. The gap between farm and fork is a business opportunity. Solving it isn’t just good for farmers. It’s good for the economy, consumers, and your career.
Read. Reflect. Rethink.
When we talk about Africa rising, it can’t just be in hashtags or pitch decks. It has to show up in the supply chains that feed us, the policies that back our farmers, and the startups that dare to fix broken systems instead of building around them.
Post-harvest loss isn’t just a farmer’s tragedy, it’s a continental leak. A leak of income, of dignity, of innovation potential. And until we fix it, our food will keep traveling thousands of miles to reach us, while local harvests waste away.
The next time you bite into that overpriced salad or scan the “imported from Italy” label on your grocery shelf, remember: it’s not a supply issue. It’s a systems failure. And it’s also your opportunity to question more, to build better, and maybe, just maybe, to be part of the fix.
Catch you in the next edition.
Source:​ Daily Trust: Inside Nigeria’s Large-Scale Post-Harvest Losses | Premium Times: How Nigeria Wastes Rice, Yam, Vegetables | BusinessDay: ₦3.5 Trillion Post-Harvest Loss | LinkedIn Pulse: 50% of Kenya's Tomatoes Rot | USAID/Nairametrics: Nearly 50% Fresh Produce Lost | CBI Report: Imported Tomatoes in Kenya
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