Both retailers and food manufacturers can accelerate adoption in the industry by encouraging their own supply base to commit to aligned food waste reduction programmes. Knowing that roughly 30 percent of food loss occurs at the post-harvest level, members are committed to stopping this type of food waste at the source. Using data from WRI and others, the Coalition will be able to identify the most valuable opportunities members can take to engage with their suppliers and drive positive change.
Better insight is needed into what’s left in the field and discarded at other points in a farm’s operation. Our Coalition has launched a project with several of its members to engage their suppliers on the important issue of farm-stage food loss.
In 2023, Coalition members and their growers supported the beta testing of World Wildlife Fund’s Global Farm Loss Tool to measure and collect data on the amount of food lost on farms post harvest for fruits and vegetables. Launched in April 2024, the tool provides a user-friendly way for growers to collect data using an in-field sampling methodology, and report information on the amount and reasons for farm-level loss. The tool can be used to estimate how much surplus (grown to the point of maturity) was left behind in-field post-harvest and at further stages across a farm’s operations (such as processing and packhouse).
This first public iteration of the tool can be used for all crops, but especially fruits, vegetables and tree nuts. The intent is that collecting data through this project will inform conversations among buyers and suppliers about ways to increase the use of all of the nutritious produce. Alongside this, and in the spirit of showcasing existing efforts to engage with suppliers and address food loss, several CGF members partnering in the 10x20x30 program are sharing through compelling case studies the value from engaging with suppliers and innovative, practical impacts on reducing food loss and waste.
Moira Borens and Sebastian Gatzer from McKinsey & Company talk about the project they have been working on with the Coalition to look at where food gets lost upstream between the farm and the retailer, focusing on tomatoes as a case study. They share the common drivers, actionable levers, as well as the role that manufacturers and retailers can play to be part of the solution.
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