Impact of Food Losses and Waste on Food Security

2017 ◽  
pp. 361-388 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wajih N. Sawaya
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Food Losses

scholarly journals The opportunity cost of animal based diets exceeds all food losses

2018 ◽  
Vol 115 (15) ◽  
pp. 3804-3809 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alon Shepon ◽  
Gidon Eshel ◽  
Elad Noor ◽  
Ron Milo
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Opportunity Cost ◽  
Animal Products ◽  
Food Loss ◽  
Food Items ◽  
The Us ◽  
Food Losses ◽  
Dietary Shifts ◽  
Expected Benefits

Food loss is widely recognized as undermining food security and environmental sustainability. However, consumption of resource-intensive food items instead of more efficient, equally nutritious alternatives can also be considered as an effective food loss. Here we define and quantify these opportunity food losses as the food loss associated with consuming resource-intensive animal-based items instead of plant-based alternatives which are nutritionally comparable, e.g., in terms of protein content. We consider replacements that minimize cropland use for each of the main US animal-based food categories. We find that although the characteristic conventional retail-to-consumer food losses are ≈30% for plant and animal products, the opportunity food losses of beef, pork, dairy, poultry, and eggs are 96%, 90%, 75%, 50%, and 40%, respectively. This arises because plant-based replacement diets can produce 20-fold and twofold more nutritionally similar food per cropland than beef and eggs, the most and least resource-intensive animal categories, respectively. Although conventional and opportunity food losses are both targets for improvement, the high opportunity food losses highlight the large potential savings beyond conventionally defined food losses. Concurrently replacing all animal-based items in the US diet with plant-based alternatives will add enough food to feed, in full, 350 million additional people, well above the expected benefits of eliminating all supply chain food waste. These results highlight the importance of dietary shifts to improving food availability and security.

scholarly journals Research on food losses and waste in North Africa

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 51-58
Author(s):  
Hamid El Bilali
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Food Security ◽  
North Africa ◽  
Food Waste ◽  
Food System ◽  
Research Policy ◽  
Economic Implications ◽  
Food Losses ◽  
System Sustainability ◽  
Food Wastage

Background: Food losses and food waste represent an emerging problem with enormous economic, environmental, and social implications. Therefore, the reduction of food wastage is considered a promising strategy, not only to achieve food security but also to improve the food system sustainability. Food wastage is a serious issue also in North Africa region. Aims: This paper provides an overview on research dealing with food losses and waste (FLW) in North Africa (Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia). Methods and Material: A systematic review was carried out in January 2018 using Scopus database. Issues addressed in the systematic review include geography of research on FLW in North Africa (i.e. countries considered or underserved), bibliometric parameters (e.g. journals, institutions) as well as thematic focus (agricultural loss, food waste). Selected records were also interrogated to see if they address the extent of FLW, the relation between food wastage and food security, economic implications of FLW, and environmental footprints of FLW. Results: The results show that research on FLW is still marginal in North Africa in general and in Libya and Mauritania in particular. Moreover, while there are some interesting pieces of research on the amount of FLW, environmental and economic impacts of FLW as well as their implications in terms of food security are largely overlooked. Conclusions: Therefore, North African researchers should pay more attention to food wastage issue. Such an endeavor should be supported by research policy in North Africa. Keywords: Agricultural losses, Environment, Food losses, Food security, Food wastage, Food waste, North Africa.

scholarly journals Food losses and wastes in brazil: a systematic review

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 78
Author(s):  
Clandio Favarini Ruviaro ◽  
Anaysa Borges ◽  
Maycon Farinha ◽  
Luciana M Bernardo ◽  
Henrique B Morais ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Supply Chain ◽  
Food Security ◽  
Food Waste ◽  
The Other ◽  
Accurate Information ◽  
Food Supply Chain ◽  
Food Loss ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Food Losses

Globally, it is estimated that approximately a third of the food produced is lost or wasted. Reducing half of these losses would make it possible to increase the availability of food for another 1 billion people. Specifically, in Brazil, the amount of lost and wasted food, if used, would be enough to achieve food security, considering as a restriction for this security, the availability of food for purchase. In this context, the objective is to identify methodologies that measure losses and food waste in Brazil. For this, a systematic review of the subject was made. It can be observed that there are a few studies that quantify food losses and wastage in the country. The largest concentration of these studies is in the distribution and consumption stages of the food supply chain. Information is available from food lost and waste, mainly in the consumption and distribution phases. Otherwise, in the other phases of the supply chain, food loss and waste values in Brazil are still incipient or non-existent. Studies that identify these values can contribute to the generation of more accurate information on the subject, being able to raise the values referring to food loss and waste of the country.Keywords: supply chain; food secutity; sustainability; hungry.Perdas e desperdícios alimentares no Brasil: uma revisão sistemáticaRESUMOEstima-se que, globalmente, aproximadamente um terço dos alimentos produzidos sejam perdidos ou desperdiçados. No entanto, a redução de metade dessas perdas tornaria possível aumentar a disponibilidade de alimentos para mais 1 bilhão de pessoas. Especificamente, no Brasil, a quantidade de alimentos perdidos e desperdiçados, se utilizados, seria suficiente para alcançar a segurança alimentar, considerando como uma restrição para essa segurança, a disponibilidade de alimentos para compra. Nesse contexto, o objetivo é identificar metodologias que mensurem perdas e desperdício de alimentos no Brasil. Para isso, foi realizada uma revisão sistemática do assunto. Pode-se observar que existem poucos estudos que quantificam perdas e desperdícios de alimentos no país. A maior concentração desses estudos está nos estágios de distribuição e consumo da cadeia de suprimento de alimentos. As informações estão disponíveis a partir de alimentos perdidos e desperdiçados, principalmente nas fases de consumo e distribuição. Nas demais fases da cadeia de suprimentos, os valores de perda e desperdício de alimentos no Brasil ainda são incipientes ou inexistentes. Estudos que identifiquem esses valores podem contribuir para a geração de informações mais precisas sobre o assunto, podendo elevar os valores referentes à perda e desperdício de alimentos no país.Palavras-chave: cadeia de suprimentos; segurança alimentar; sustentabilidade; fome.

scholarly journals Wpływ strat i marnotrawstwa żywności na bezpieczeństwo żywnościowe

2017 ◽  
Vol 17(32) (1) ◽  
pp. 125-141 ◽  
Author(s):  
Agnieszka Obiedzińska
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Scientific Literature ◽  
Health Impacts ◽  
Food Utilization ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Food Losses ◽  
Social Environmental ◽  
Access To Food ◽  
Waste Food

Occurring food losses and waste (FLW) are a result of ineffective functioning of food systems. Depending on the volume or region in which they occur they generate economic, social, environmental and health impacts. This paper analyzes the available polish and foreign scientific literature on the issue of food security and food losses and waste. Food losses and waste generate a lot of negative effects, which may directly or indirectly affect the four pillars of food security: food availability, access to food, food utilization and stability. Many activities are undertaken in order to prevent or minimize generated food losses and waste. On the other hand already created losses or waste can be used for example by redistributing or reusing food or its components, which may contribute to ensure food security.

scholarly journals Challenges and Prospects in the Agri-food Sector

Economics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 104 (6-9) ◽  
pp. 68-84
Author(s):  
Paata Koguashvili Paata Koguashvili ◽  
Leila Gegenava Leila Gegenava
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Food Security ◽  
Population Growth ◽  
Natural Resources ◽  
Agricultural Production ◽  
Food Demand ◽  
Food Sector ◽  
The World ◽  
Food Shortages ◽  
Food Losses

The world is facing changes that have a significant impact on the environment and every aspect of human life. Currently, 588 million of the world's 7.8 billion people live in extreme poverty, 820 million people are starving, and 2.5 billion suffer from some form of micronutrient deficiency. The population is growing, the processes of aging and migration to urban settlements are actively underway, which is reflected in agricultural production and food demand. At the same time, the impact of the effects of climate change on the state of food security in the world is noteworthy. In addition, inequality, discrimination, and human rights abuses (including the right to adequate and safe human food) exacerbate these consequences, especially for small farms. According to the FAO, 33% of world population growth is expected in the near future. The population, from the existing 7.7 billion, will reach almost 10 billion by 2050. The population growth will lead to a strong increase in food demand. By 2050, it will be necessary to produce 70 percent more than 50-types foods, while the share of agriculture in global GDP is about 4%. While investments and innovations in the agricultural sector are increasing, the growth rate of yields is quite low. The rural population is declining and the aging process is actively underway, which has a serious impact on the labor force. Added to this is the fact that the current use of natural resources is irrational and under severe pressure. Twenty-five percent of agricultural land is severely degraded and land has long been recognized as a limited resource, while water resources are under heavy strain and there is a shortage of water in the world. Food losses and waste are an inefficient side of the sector and a strong threat to the environment. Up to 33% to 50% of the world produced food is never used for food, and the cost of these products exceeds $ 1 trillion. These trends have led to the problem of food shortages. As a result, poverty and hunger have intensified in the world. Moreover, there are four main factors that put pressure on the inherited model of agricultural production, without their solution the sector will not be able to cope with future demands. They are exacerbating the problem of hunger and food shortages in the world, putting pressure on agriculture and the ability of the sector to be able to meet future needs. These factors include: demographics, scarcity of natural resources, climate change, and food losses and waste. In Summary, overcoming these challenges requires the joint efforts of governments, investors, and innovative agricultural technologies to increase productivity and support the transition to an economy based on innovation and knowledge. Modern farms and enterprises have to work differently, mainly due to the use of technological advantages. In the future, agriculture must use sophisticated technologies and advanced equipment. Precision farming and the use of robotic systems ensure more profitable, efficient, safe and environmentally friendly agricultural production. According to the FAO report, these efforts require considerable resources: to eradicate hunger by 2030 and deal with the demographic pressures that will require an annual investment of $ 265 billion. Keywords: Agri-food sector, poverty, hunger, food security, food losses and waste.

scholarly journals An approach to measuring food losses in the potato chain in Ecuador and Peru

2020 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 46-65
Author(s):  
C. Velasco; M. Ordinola; A. Devaux
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Value Chain ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Potato Production ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Agricultural Prices ◽  
Pests And Diseases ◽  
Daunting Task ◽  
Food Losses ◽  
Small Scale Farmers

Potato production and the related commercial and technological characteristics in the potato value chain, is one of the most important sources of income and food security of thousands of small-scale farmers in the Andes, who are increasingly challenged by trends of urbanization, volatility of agricultural prices, water and land scarcity, environmental stress, and weather shocks. Understanding food losses along the potato value chain and what role these losses play in food security has recently caught the interest of researchers and policy makers as reducing food losses can improve food availability without increasing agricultural inputs, use of land, or technological improvements on the production side. However, estimating food losses has proven to be a daunting task and efforts have yielded estimates that vary considerably. The methodology presented in this study distinguishes losses that are due to physical quantities from those due to quality and value. The results show that the most important losses occur in the production link and that the most important losses faced by small-scale potato producers occur due to crop management practices (before harvest), pests and diseases, frost and drought. Losses in production amount to an average of 95% of total losses in the value chain. This paper reports on the study conducted by the International Potato Center (CIP) through the CGIAR Program on Policy, Institution and Markets (PIM) lead by IFPRI, to evaluate the extent and sources of food losses taking as case study key potato value chains in Ecuador and Peru.

scholarly journals Food losses and waste: how Brazil is facing this global challenge?

2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 472-482 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gilmar Paulo Henz ◽  
Gustavo Porpino
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Food Consumption ◽  
Food Waste ◽  
Fruits And Vegetables ◽  
Legal Framework ◽  
Security Policies ◽  
Scientific Publications ◽  
Slow Food ◽  
Postharvest Losses ◽  
Food Losses

ABSTRACT By 2017, Brazil seems to have finally awakened to the problem of food loss and waste. In this article, we resume the topic started in the article “Postharvest losses of perishables in Brazil: what do we know so far?” published earlier this year, but now with an emphasis on food losses and waste (FLW). We divided this article into four sections: (a) search for scientific publications on postharvest losses (PHL) and food waste (FW) in Portuguese; (b) social classes and food consumption in Brazil and household food waste; (c) the national legal framework on FLW; and (d) current food security policies and civil society actions on FLW. Google Scholar searches yielded 46,100 records for FW and 16,100 for PHL, but only 37 and 19 records, respectively, when the searches were restricted to the title of the papers. There is a clear division of subjects: PHL is more related to Agriculture and Economy and FW to Health, Nutrition and the Environment, and reasons and consequences are discussed. Food consumption and waste in Brazil must take into account the great social heterogeneity and high income inequality, as well as some unexpected driving cultural reasons. About 30 bills related to food waste have been discussed in the Brazilian Congress since 1997, with a low expectation of approval in the short term. In the absence of a regulatory framework to reduce losses and facilitate the donation of food, society has found its own way of dealing with the problem. Some initiatives are presented here, along with some governmental food security policies which had positive impacts in reducing FLW, such as National School Feeding Program (PNAE), food banks and popular restaurants. Some international movements are also beginning to gain strength in Brazil, e.g., the purchase of fruits and vegetables outside of aesthetic standards, “SaveFood Brasil”, “Slow Food”, among others. These are all put in perspective.

Food Security Surveillance in the Palestinian Territories

2002 ◽  
Vol 17 (S2) ◽  
pp. S20-S21
Author(s):  
Gregg Greenough ◽  
Ziad Abdeen ◽  
Bdour Dandies ◽  
Radwan Qasrawi
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Palestinian Territories ◽  
Security Surveillance
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