Reducing On-Farm Food Losses
In the OIC Member Countries
8
Food Waste Consumer stage
losses in food supply
chain.
Losses during distribution and
marketing in the form of edible
food discarded because it is non-
compliant with aesthetic quality
standards or is not sold before
“best before” and “use-by” dates.
Losses during consumption in the
form of food purchased by
consumers, restaurants, and
caterers but not eaten.
Losses during
consumption
Source: Gustavsson 2011; SIK 2013, Lipinski et al 2013; Food loss and waste protocol, on-going as of 2015; SAVE
FOOD Initiative, 2015.
Although the FAO definition of food wastage (loss and waste) is currently under discussion, it is
expected to eventually include waste of inputs to production, such as water or energy (e.g.,
fuelwood in smallholder operations). As a key target of rural poverty elimination goals, greater
attention is focusing on the loss in the monetary value of foods such as fish. This is not
necessarily a result of loss of fish as food, but due to a downgrading in value irrespective of
quality. Three types of losses are being considered in small-scale fisheries (FAO 2014):
i. Physical: fish not used after capture, harvest or landing. These fish are totally lost from
the supply chain and not consumed or utilized.
ii. Quality: products that are spoiled or damaged but not to the extent that they are thrown
away. The nutritional value may or may not be affected.
iii. Market Force: Loss due to market reaction affecting the selling price to such an extent
that, irrespective of quality, fish sells for a lower price. These downgrades in market
value are experienced by food producers for many other crops and food products.
For the purposes of this analytical study, a hybrid definition of on-farm losses has been utilized,
with boundaries from production to farm gate including harvesting. Included in the assessments
of on-farm losses are all of the stages and steps involved in:
 Growing foods that are damaged, decayed or immediately lost. This includes inadequate
production, cultivation and pest protection practices that lead directly to physical or
quality losses of plant foods or animals at the time of harvest.
 Harvesting foods, including losses that occur due to timing of harvesting and methods
of gathering, cutting, selection or collection that cause physical damage or quality losses
and related market losses.
 Handling foods on the farm or ranch after the harvest, including sorting, cleaning,
trimming, packing, threshing and drying grains and legumes, curing roots, tubers and
bulb crops, packing or bulking, temporary on-farm storage, and loading onto vehicles at
the farm gate.
All of these activities and practices are under the direct control of the farmer and the farm
workers that are producing and harvesting foods, and handling food crops, animals and animal
products on the farm after the harvest.