Where change happens

So far, this course has introduced how, where and why food loss occurs, but who are the stakeholders that can effect change? Let’s take a moment to reflect back on what we’ve already learned. You’ll then hear some producer voices highlighting how decisions in the wider food system can effect food loss.

Recap the causes of food loss

You learned reasons for food loss include (but are not limited to) adverse weather events, pests, disease, damage during harvesting, inadequate storage infrastructure, high labour costs, contractual or cosmetic reasons (e.g. related to size or quality).

You also learned there are ‘direct’ and ‘indirect’ causes of food loss. So food loss results from ‘distant’ factors such as pricing structures, quality standards, and customer preferences as well as from on-farm management decisions and practices.

Where food loss happens

Remember, the concept of food loss does not include losses beyond the farm gate. However, the decisions of stakeholders in all parts of the food system can contribute to food loss.

Several different stakeholder voices are represented in Figure 1 below. Look at each quote in turn and decide whether it reflects an environmental, societal and behavioural cause of food loss. Refer back to the examples in Step 1.8 if you’re not sure.

Figure 1. Examples of food loss causes: producer quotes. Click to expand diagram.

The quotes also raise interesting questions about how our expectations about food shape decisions in different parts of the food system. For example, how much can we reasonably expect consumers to change their preferences to reduce food loss? And how could retailers better support farmers to reduce food loss? Add your thoughts in the Comments section.