Ensuring Access to Food Security Through Waste-to-Food Practices in Calabar Municipality, Cross River State, Nigeria

The challenge of food insecurity in rapidly urbanizing regions of Nigeria is compounded by poor waste management, deprived livelihood opportunities, environmental degradation, and unsustainable production and consumption patterns. This study investigates the options and potential of integrating waste-to-food systems—such as urban composting, household biogas, and organic waste reuse—to enhance access to food system sustainability in Calabar Municipality. Through mixed methods, including household surveys, field observations, and stakeholder interviews, the research uses feedback from public engagements and focus group options, policy gaps, and the environmental benefits of adopting circular food-waste strategies. Preliminary findings reveal that over 60% of household waste in Calabar is organic and could be redirected to sustainable urban agriculture and renewable energy, creating avenues for livelihood creation, yet institutional frameworks remain weak. Concepts regarding basic needs, as policy inputs of the Food and Agricultural Organization, should be examined as theyrelate to food availability and the issue of post harvest food losses, and this is relevant to developing countries in the face of climate change challenges. This paper advocates for diverse partnerships from other sectors of the urban space, community-based composting initiatives, and educational campaigns to drive behavioral change. By linking waste management with food production and flexible and green consumption patterns, in line with environmental sustainability imperatives, this study contributes practical insights into achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2, 11, and 12 in urban Africa.