Happy New Year and Welcome Back to CENFACS’ Online Diary!
04 January 2023
Post No. 281
The New Year’s Contents
• What is New at the Start of the New Year and What is on this January 2023?
• The 11th Issue of Consume to Reduce Poverty, in Focus: Reduction of Food Waste and Over Consumption
• Coming up this Winter: The New Year’s and Next Issue of FACS (The 78th Issue) to be entitled as Promoting Insurance Culture amongst Those in Need to Reduce Poverty in Africa
… And much more!
The New Year’s Key Messages
• What is New at the Start of the New Year and What is on this January 2023?
~ New Tool, New Relief and New Hope
We have got the following initiatives to look forward to this January 2023 at CENFACS:
√ Consume to Reduce Poverty (Issue No. 11) with a Focus on the Reduction of Food Waste and Over Consumption
√ 2022 Year-end Financial Controls as Tools for Poverty Reduction
√ Financial Stability Campaign 2023
√ The Not-for-profit Investment Outlook of Africa in 2023
√ Nature Projects (New)
√ Nature-based Solutions to Poverty.
The above mentioned initiatives are amongst the ones we have selected to kick-start 2023. Apart from them, we shall take actions to reflect the poverty reduction landscape of 2023. In particular, we will be working together with beneficiaries on the following:
√ Debt reduction advocacy since debt repayment will be problematic for many of our users as many of them will face the economic reality of 2023, especially when the energy payment support will end
√ 3 Tiers or Levels of security as there is a high probability that the lingering threats of insecurity relating to energy, food and finances will continue in 2023
√ Humanitarian relief appeals to help address unfinished businesses or potential crises or tension hotspot places like in Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, the East of the Democratic Republic of Congo, etc.
√ Climate actions to keep pace with net zero path and poverty reduction.
To complete the picture about our plan of work for the first quarter of 2023, we shall soon unveil the remaining selected initiatives making the Season of Light at CENFACS.
• The 11th Issue of CRP (Consume to Reduce Poverty), in focus: Reduction of Food Waste and Over Consumption
January is the month of Responsible Consumption for CENFACS. The initiative featuring this month is our resource entitled as Consume to Reduce Poverty and Climate Change. The 11th Issue of this resource will be on ‘Reduction of Food Waste and Over Consumption’. However, before giving the message about the 11th Issue of CRP, let us briefly re-explain what normally happen in January.
• • January as a Month of Responsible Consumption within CENFACS
Some of you are aware that January is our month of Responsible Consumption following CENFACS development calendar. It means that the theme for January is Responsible or Sustainable Consumption and the monthly project carrying this theme is Consume to Reduce Poverty.
It is the month we act against poverty due to the lack of consumption and we deal with measures of poverty reduction through consumption. It is also an opportunity to act to preserve a good relationship between the way in which we consume products on the one hand and the reduction of climate change on the other. In particular, January is a climate reminder month as it is the month during which we raise awareness of the relationships between humans and the nature through sustainable consumption; that is consumption that does not destroy the nature.
This January we will take an extra step by exploring the relationship between humans and food waste, between humans and over consumption.
Consume to Reduce Poverty (CRP) is our users’ New Year supporting information and accompanying booster that focuses on Buying and Consumption elements conducive to the reduction of poverty and hardships. It is indeed a complimentary support to our Autumn Festive Income Boost (FIB) resource.
The FIB is an income-generating resource while CRP brings in a consumption-led look in our fight against poverty. The current Issue (Issue no. 11) of CRP deals with ‘Reduction of Food Waste and Over Consumption’ as mentioned above.
For further details about CRP project, go to http://cenfacs.org.uk/services-activities/
• • The 11th Issue of CRP (Consume to Reduce Poverty), in Focus: Reduction of Food Waste and Over Consumption
Food discarded from kitchens as well as the use of renewable resources faster than natural processes can replace them are two of the problems when dealing with responsible or sustainable consumption.
They are problems since food discarded from kitchens at home, in restaurants and grocery chains could have been recycled or donated to others to help reduce food poverty and hardships. Likewise, the use of renewables faster than natural processes can replace them can jeopardize any efforts of reducing poverty that rely on responsible or sustainable consumption of renewable resources.
The 11th Issue of CRP not only deals with the Reduction of Food Waste and Over Consumption by setting up zero food waste goals and providing toolkits for reducing food waste, but also explores ways of reducing poverty and hardships linked to food waste and over consumption.
Under the Main Development section of this post, we have further explained the ‘Reduction of Food Waste and Over Consumption’, and how they can contribute to the reduction of both food and consumption poverty.
• Coming up this Winter: The New Year’s and Next Issue of FACS (The 78th Issue) to be entitled as Promoting Insurance Culture amongst Those in Need to Reduce Poverty in Africa
Generally speaking, in developing African countries, poor parents and people rely on their children and extended family members in terms of protecting from damage or theft of personal assets, and death and life and accidental injury. This problem of reliance on children and the community is also found amongst the African Diaspora people.
There are reasons that push many of these poor parents and persons to act in this way. Without entering these reasons which could be legitimate for some of them, the 78th Issue of FACS will be about ways of working with these poor families and persons so that they can embrace the insurance culture or path whether this insurance comes from an insurance company or insurance broker/agent or their government for as long as the insurance policy is affordable to them.
Working with them in this way can improve they way in which they perceive many subjects surrounding insurance like income, housing, employment, etc. against damages and risks. Our work with them will be about how they can be active in dealing with any insurance policy cover that is supposed to cover them as well as to reduce poverty and hardships linked to the lack of any policy cover against damages and risks to be encountered.
Insurance costs; it is not cheap. However, without insurance life could be at high risk. Even when people are poor, they still need insurance to cover what they are doing as activities, themselves and whoever or what is linked to them. It is not a surprise if the World Bank (1) argues that
“Insurance mitigates the economic effects of events like illness, death, disability, fire, theft, and natural disaster on individuals, households, or enterprises. In doing so, insurance helps people to avoid destitution, smooth their consumption, protect their assets, and pursue high-return economic activities and investments”.
The 78th Issue of FACS is about working with the uninsured to make the use of insurance services provided to them as the customs or art of living. In other words, it is possible to improve and develop through training and education the ideas and practice of using insurance services as part of one’s daily life.
The 78th Issue of FACS will look at theories of insurance and how they apply to the poor, particularly those working with us and our Africa-based Sister organisations in Africa. In this respect, insurance culture amongst the those in need will be approached from the perspective of micro-insurance, that is the use of insurance services by those in need or the poor. It will be treated from the point of view of the insurance services user rather than from that of the insurance services provider. The issue of affordable contribution by the poor insured will be raised as well.
As we are now in 2023, a culture of insurance can be one of the resolutions one could make not only to better start and live in 2023, but also to reduce poverty linked to the lack of insurance policy cover. So, protecting those in need against financial loss resulting from damage or theft of personal assets, death and injury can be included in the process of reducing poverty and enhancing sustainable development.
In practice, one can think of any damage caused by treacherous weather to poor people’s life or property. Without any insurance cover to this type of climate change event, this can only exacerbate poverty if the victims of this eventful weather are the poor ones. This event could be even highly damaging if the victims lost their belongings and there are tragedies.
For example, in mid-December 2022 Kinshasa (in the Democratic Republic of Congo) experienced torrential rain with a huge flooding that caused around 170 fatalities, according to the Congolese local sources. Although one could point out the lack of urbanisation policy and practice to deal with this sort of natural disaster in one of Africa’s mega-cities; it remains that many of the victims or casualties from this environmental disaster do not have any insurance policy cover to deal with this natural damage.
More details about the 78th Issue of FACS will be given this Winter. However, for those who would like to enquire about it before it appears, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.
The New Year’s Extra Messages
• Gifts of Peace, Edition 2022-2023
• 2022 Year-end Financial Controls as Tools for Poverty Reduction
• Resuming Season’s Structured Activities this January 2023
• Gifts of Peace, Edition 2022-2023
Gifts of Peace for Edition 2022-2023 will end on 31 January 2023. If you have not yet supported, you can still do something for poverty relief and for healing the lingering economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic and the scars of the cost-of-living crisis.
Although the deadline for the Season of Donation for these gifts is 31 January 2023, we will still accept any donations made after this deadline as there are always pressing and urgent needs that desperately request support.
Please do not wait for the expiration of the deadline as the needs are pressing and urgent.
We know that many supporters of good causes have been affected by the cost-of-living crisis. However, for those who can please do not hesitate to support these noble causes of peace since the potential beneficiaries of them are trebly impacted by:
a) The lingering of the economic effects of the coronavirus
b) The already extremely poor conditions in which they are living
c) The scars of the cost-of-living crisis.
Every support counts to help reduce and end extreme poverty.
Please keep the Gifts of Peace in your mind as the giving season continues.
For further details about these Gifts of Peace and or to support, go to http://cenfacs.org.uk/supporting-us/
We look forward to your support. Thank you!
• 2022 Year-end Financial Controls as Tools for Poverty Reduction
Year-in-review accounts are one of the financial tools we would like to work and share with our users as we explained in our last post of 2022. They are part of year-end financial control project or exercise which includes income boost and other financial tools making our campaign to reduce and end poverty, particularly income poverty.
To understand year-end financial controls, it is better to know what financial controls are about. According to ‘wallstreetmojo.com’ (2),
“Financial controls are policies and guidelines that an organisation sets to manage its financial resources and operate efficiently. It also includes a set of rules for documenting, analysing and reporting transaction. It enables a company to decide the direction, allocation, and use of financial resources and ensure effective financial management, production efficiency, and profitability. Budgeting, operations, and performance can all suffer as a result of its absence”.
This definition of financial controls can be applied to households. Like any organisation, households need to have and implement financial controls framework to manage, document, analyse, and report household transactions. These financial controls can be directional or selective or on particular household financial statements like balance sheet, cash flows, income statement, etc.
For those (individuals, families or households) who need help to manage or close their 2022 year-in-review accounts, they can contact CENFACS prior to the end of 2022-2023 tax year or by the 5th of April 2023.
• Resuming Season’s Structured Activities this January 2023
From the 5th of January 2023, we will be resuming our two types of Season’s structured activities, which are:
∝) Structured Festive Activities or Micro-projects under Financial Stability Programme and Scheme for households
∝) Guidance Programme for Not-for-profit Investors in Africa.
Let us briefly re-explain what these activities are about.
a) Structured Festive Activities or Micro-projects under Financial Stability Programme and Scheme for households
The Financial Stability Campaign for Households is about working with poor households to help them find enough income to cover basic expenses, pay off debts and save for emergencies.
For those households who need support regarding their financial stability or planning problems, they can contact CENFACS with their queries or enquiries to book an appointment for support.
b) Guidance Programme for Not-for-profit Investors in Africa.
The Guidance Programme for Not-for-profit Investors in Africa covers the following four topics:
b.1) Not-for-profit investment market analysis
b.2) Not-for-profit investment choices
b.3) Risks and opportunities attached to not-for-profit organisations in Africa
b.4) Rate of return about poverty reduction.
Through our Guidance Programme, we can advise on top organisations to not-for-profit invest in 2023, not-for-profit investment deals in 2023, investment-enhancing poverty reduction, etc.
For those potential not-for-profit investors who need some guidance to invest in Africa, they can contact CENFACS to book an appointment for guidance.
Message in French (Message en français)
• Dons de paix, édition 2022-2023 : Prend fin le 31 janvier 2023
Dons de paix pour l’édition 2022-2023 se terminera le 31 janvier 2023. Si vous n’avez pas encore soutenu, vous pouvez encore faire quelque chose pour réduire la pauvreté et guérir les effets économiques persistants de la pandémie de coronavirus et les cicatrices de la crise du coût de la vie.
Bien que la date limite pour la saison des dons pour ces dons soit le 31 janvier 2023, nous accepterons tous les dons effectués après cette date limite car il y a toujours des besoins pressants et urgents qui demandent désespérément du soutien.
Veuillez ne pas attendre l’expiration du délai car les besoins sont pressants et urgents.
Nous savons que de nombreux (ses) partisan(e)s de bonnes causes ont été touché(e)s par la crise du coût de la vie. Cependant, pour ceux/celles qui le peuvent, n’hésitez pas à soutenir ces nobles causes de paix puisque les bénéficiaires potentiels d’entre elles sont triplement impactés par :
a) La persistance des effets économiques du coronavirus
b) Les conditions déjà extrêmement mauvaises dans lesquelles ils vivent
c) Les cicatrices de la crise du coût de la vie.
Chaque soutien compte pour aider à réduire et à mettre fin à l’extrême pauvreté.
Veuillez garder les Dons de paix à l’esprit pendant que la saison des dons se poursuit.
Pour plus de détails sur ces Dons de Paix et/ou pour soutenir, rendez-vous sur http://cenfacs.org.uk/supporting-us/
Nous comptons sur votre soutien. Merci!
The New Year’s Main Development
• The 11th Issue of Consume to Reduce Poverty (CRP)
In Focus: Reduction of Food Waste and Over Consumption
Halving food waste, significantly reduce over consumption and substantially reduce waste generation are part of the global target 16 of Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework set up at 2022 United Nations Biodiversity Conference (3). They are also part of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 12 and Target 3 (4) which are:
“By 2030, halve per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels and reduce food losses along production and supply chains, including post-harvest losses”.
The focus of the 11th Issue of Consume to Reduce Poverty (CRP) is in line with target 16 of Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 12 and Target 3. However, the reduction of food waste and over consumption will be treated here in relation to our users or beneficiaries rather than from the perspective of food producers or chains.
Let us see the key highlights making this 11th Issue.
• • Key highlights, Tips and Hints about the 11th Issue of CRP
The key highlights, Tips and Hints include the following:
∝ Key Concepts
∝ Kitchen Food Waste Composting and Poverty Reduction
∝ Reducing Food Waste through your Zero Waste Journey
∝ Over Consumption and the Climate Economy
∝ Food Waste and Climate Change
∝ Poor Consumers and their Affordability of Food Waste
∝ Good Practices within the Community to Reduce Food Waste
∝ Demonstrative Projects of Food Waste Reduction
∝ Accounting for Food Waste
∝ Indication on Food Products for Verification, Identity and Authenticity to Avoid Waste
∝ Food Security and Guarantee
∝ Looking for Help and Support.
Let us consider these key highlights, tips and hints.
• • • Key Concepts
We have the following two key concepts we would like to highlight: Food Waste and Over consumption.
• • • • Understanding Food Waste
Our definition of food waste comes from ‘earth.org’ (5) which states that
“Food waste is food that is intended for human consumption that is wasted and lost, and refers not only to food that consumers don’t finish at restaurants and are thrown out at home, but also raw materials and produce that are lost in the farming stage, harvesting processes, during transportation and storage. Food waste can occur anywhere throughout the entire supply chain”.
Food Waste can be measured by using a Food Waste Index. According to the United Nations Environment Programme (6),
“Food waste index measures food waste at retail and consumer level (household and food service). It measures total food waste rather than loss or waste associated with specific commodities)” (p. 9)
To exemplify food waste, the online website ‘theecoexperts.co.uk’ (7) states that
“The UK throws away 9.52 million tonnes of food per year”.
In the context of CRP, our focus will be on food thrown out at home by people or households. This is because we are dealing with household users not companies.
• • • • What is over consumption?
The environment and conservation dictionary definition written by Chris Park (8) states that
“Over consumption is the use of renewable resources faster than natural processes can replace them, which is not sustainable” (p. 322)
Again, this notion of over consumption will be used when dealing with consumption made by the members of our community in what they consume as renewables.
• • • Kitchen Food Waste Composting and Poverty Reduction
Food waste from your kitchen can be composted to create alternative uses such as a product to help improve soils to produce food to help reduce poverty. This can as well assist in cutting the impact of waste food on the environment. In this respect, the reduction of food waste and over consumption can contribute to the reduction of food poverty and hardships.
The 11th Issue of CRP encourages users to make use of kitchen food waste compost bin and help in the process of recycling food waste for other alternative good uses for human needs. A compost bin/container can help to place food waste inside to turn into compost in the process of decomposition.
• • • Reducing Food Waste through your Zero Waste Journey
Individuals and family strategies to reduce food waste will always be welcome. They are even encouraging for not to add extra emissions of greenhouse gas in the atmosphere as they take a zero food waste journey.
• • • Over Consumption and the Climate Economy
An organised system for the production, distribution and use of goods and services that takes into account the changing weather conditions can contribute to make sure that renewable resources are not over used or over exploited. Where there is over use or exploitation of renewable resources, it is better to address the issue brought by over consumers.
• • • Food Waste and Climate Change
The website ‘borgenproject .org’ (9) states that
“Reducing food waste could potentially prevent climate change and help end global poverty… The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) calculated that the world’s population wastes 1.3 billion tons of food per year. That food waste also results in 3.3 billion tons of greenhouse gases entering the atmosphere”.
Maybe enough has been said about the impacts of changing climate. If not, then one area of work could be for humans to rethink about how the reduction of food waste can help. Their food waste reduction can help to adapt and mitigate the negative effects of climate change. The reduction of food waste would help the health and wealth of the environment and the nature on which we all depend.
• • • Poor Consumers and their Affordability of Food Waste
Can poor consumers afford food waste and over consumption?
Poor consumers and food poor cannot afford to waste food or to over consume. They need food like everybody else. If there is food waste, it is better to work with them to find out the types of food waste they can generate and how to support them to avoid food waste.
Likewise, they are required to use renewable resources sustainably like every body. If they are excessively using renewable resources more than they need, then work can be done to reduce this over consumption.
• • • Good Practices within the Community to Reduce Food Waste
There are good practices within our community about ways of reducing food waste and over consumption. To back up these practices, the 11th Issue of CRP is packed with some cases of good initiatives undertaken by the CENFACS Community that underpins the reduction of food waste and over consumption as part of every day’s human life.
Those who would like to know more about these cases, they can contact CENFACS.
Those who have cases of food waste reduction practices and who may find them worthwhile to share and be added to this issue of CRP, they can let CENFACS know.
• • • Demonstrative Projects of Food Waste Reduction
Every food consumer can demonstrate the ability to follow the rules of reducing food waste and over consumption. In those circumstances, there could be those food consumers who do more by taking a proactive action to sustainably consume.
Likewise, there could be local projects (for example, local food recycling initiatives, food banks, food waste collection services, etc.) that could display demonstrative talents and skills in promoting the reduction of food waste and over consumption.
For those members of our community who have developed this kind of demonstrative projects of food waste reduction, it could be a good idea to let us know so that we can add them to this CRP resource.
• • • Accounting for Food Waste
In order to better reduce food waste, it requires undertaking the accounting of food waste both in quantity and monetary values. Food waste accounting can use metrics like average food waste per household per day, consumable food wasted, foods that contribute to food waste (e.g., potatoes, fresh vegetables, salads, etc.). Such an accounting will help to raise the bell if there is any food waste and work the opportunity cost in terms of poverty reduction.
The tip and hint here are to check if food waste is a financial waste or not.
• • • Indication on Food Products for Verification, Identity and Authenticity to Avoid Waste
It is informative to read other people’s testimonies, reviews or comments about any food to be purchased and consumed. This could help to avoid or reduce food waste and over consumption before buying foodstuffs.
• • • Food Security and Guarantee
When buying food consumer products and services (whether using online or a physical store), one needs to check, compare and contrast products, terms and conditions of business, buying terms, prices, etc. There is a need to check as well guarantees and safety policies.
The tip and hint will be to check the “Sell by” or “Use Before” dates to avoid waste.
If you are buying online, before you sign up, add to your food consumer shopping basket and purchase an item; you need to read, discuss and check what you are agreeing on. You may even take extra precautions when selecting items, filling up buying forms to enter your personal, financial information and sensitive details. Make sure that your online shopping does not limit itself to tick or cross out boxes only.
You should also be aware of scams, spams as well as illegal and malicious practices. For own online security, use the e-safety tools and advice.
• • • Looking for Help and Support
For those users who would like to dive into the reduction of food waste and over consumption, we can provide them with online and print resources relating to the matters. These resources can highlight the following points: food donation, compost, eating smart, plan before buying food, food waste tracker, etc.
There is a lot of online resources and websites they can sign up and receive advice on the following matters: reduction of food waste at home, how to avoid over consumption, how to consume sustainably and sensibly, food waste accounting, etc.
The above are the key highlights, tips and hints about the 11th Issue of CRP we wanted to share with you. To get the full contents of the 2023 Issue of Consume to Reduce Poverty and Climate Change, please contact CENFACS.
To support our month of Sustainable and Responsible Consumption, please also contact CENFACS.
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• References
(1) https://documents.worldbank.org/en/publication/documents-reports/documentdetail/90791146812024/insurance-for-the-poor (Accessed in January 2023)
(2) https://www.wallstreetmojo.com/financial-control/undertsanding-financial-controls (Accessed in January 2023)
(3) https://www.cbd.int/article/cop15-cbd-press-release-final-19dec2022 (Accessed in January 2023)
(4) https://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/presscenter/pressreleases/2015/09/24/undp-welcomes-adoption-of-sustainable-development-goals-by-world-leaders.html (Accessed in January 2023)
(5) https://earth.org/what-is-food-waste/ (Accessed in January 2023)
(6) United Nations Environment Programme (2021), Food Waste Index Report 2021, Nairobi
(7) https://www.theecoexperts.co.uk/home-hub/food-waste-facts-and-statistics (Accessed in January 2023)
(8) Park, C. (2011), A Dictionary of Environment and Conservation, Oxford University Press Inc., Oxford & New York
(9) https://borgenproject .org/reducing-food-waste-and-poverty/# (Accessed in January 2023)
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• Help CENFACS keep the Poverty Relief work going this year
We do our work on a very small budget and on a voluntary basis. Making a donation will show us you value our work and support CENFACS’ work, which is currently offered as a free service.
One could also consider a recurring donation to CENFACS in the future.
Additionally, we would like to inform you that planned gifting is always an option for giving at CENFACS. Likewise, CENFACS accepts matching gifts from companies running a gift-matching programme.
Donate to support CENFACS!
FOR ONLY £1, YOU CAN SUPPORT CENFACS AND CENFACS’ NOBLE CAUSES OF POVERTY REDUCTION.
JUST GO TO: Support Causes – (cenfacs.org.uk)
Thank you for visiting CENFACS website and reading this post.
Thank you as well to those who made or make comments about our weekly posts.
We look forward to receiving your regular visits and continuing support in 2023 and beyond.
With many thanks.
