Food Loss and Food Waste

Post-harvest food loss is the reduction in the quantity or quality of food after harvesting and before it reaches the retail or consumption stage. Consumer-level food waste occurs when food available for human consumption is discarded or left uneaten by households. The distinction rests mainly on where in the supply chain the reduction occurs and what causes it.

Stage in the food supply chain

• Post-harvest loss occurs from the farm gate to the pre-retail stage, including handling, drying, storage, processing, packaging and transport.
• Consumer-level waste occurs at the household consumption stage, after food has been purchased or prepared.
• Loss can involve physical disappearance, spoilage or deterioration in quality; waste generally involves food being discarded or left uneaten.

Causes and responsibility

Post-harvest loss usually reflects supply-side constraints, whereas consumer waste is more closely associated with demand-side behaviour. The terms should not be treated as moral labels: food loss may involve poor practices, while household waste may also arise from inadequate storage or information.

• Food loss may result from improper harvesting, pests, moisture, inadequate warehousing, breaks in the cold chain, transport damage and delayed marketing.
• Consumer waste may arise from over-purchasing, poor meal planning, excessive serving, improper home storage or misunderstanding of date labels.

Policy significance

The distinction determines the appropriate intervention. SDG 12.3 seeks, by 2030, to reduce food losses along production and supply chains, including post-harvest losses, and to halve per capita food waste at retail and consumer levels.

• Reducing loss requires better harvesting practices, scientific storage, grading, processing, cold-chain facilities, transport and market coordination.
• Reducing consumer waste requires awareness, appropriate portioning, better household storage, clearer information and safe redistribution of surplus food.