(P05-43-26) Reducing Household Fruit and Vegetable Waste as a Nutrition-Sensitive Food Systems Strategy: A Randomized Controlled Trial in Rural Ghana

Objectives: The study evaluated whether a behaviour-based intervention targeting household FV management could simultaneously reduce waste and improve nutritional outcomes.

Methods: A 6-month cluster-randomized controlled trial was conducted among 137 mother–child pairs in four farming communities in the Ho West District, Ghana. The intervention group received monthly nutrition education and biweekly counselling focused on FV storage, preservation, and meal planning. Outcomes included haemoglobin (Hb), dietary diversity score (DDS), food consumption score (FCS), anthropometry, household hunger, and FV waste.

Results: The intervention group demonstrated a 10% reduction in FV waste (40.1% to 30.1%; p < 0.001), whereas the control group showed minimal change. Significant improvements were observed in women’s haemoglobin (p = 0.002), children’s haemoglobin (p = 0.004), and stunting (p = 0.045). Dietary diversity and FCS increased significantly (p < 0.05), and households reporting no hunger rose (p = 0.022). Behavioural constructs related to waste prevention strengthened significantly.

Conclusions: Addressing household food waste through culturally tailored education and counseling can serve as a nutrition-sensitive food systems intervention. Integrating behavior-based waste reduction into national nutrition strategies may enhance micronutrient adequacy while advancing SDG targets related to hunger and sustainable consumption.

Funding Sources: The study was conducted without external funding.