Hodges, R.J., Buzby, J.C. and Bennett, B. (2010) Postharvest losses and waste in developed and less developed countries: opportunities to improve resource use. The Journal of Agricultural Science, 149 (S1). pp. 37-45. ISSN 0021-8596 (Print), 1469-5146 (Online) (doi:10.1017/S0021859610000936)

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Abstract

This review compares and contrasts postharvest food losses (PHLs) and waste in developed countries (especially the USA and the UK) with those in less developed countries (LDCs), especially the case of cereals in sub-Saharan Africa. Reducing food losses offers an important way of increasing food availability without requiring additional production resources, and in LDCs it can contribute to rural
development and poverty reduction by improving agribusiness livelihoods. The critical factors governing PHLs and food waste are mostly after the farm gate in developed countries but before the farm gate in LDCs. In the foreseeable future (e.g. up to 2030), the main drivers for reducing PHLs differ: in the developed world, they include consumer education campaigns, carefully targeted taxation and private and public sector partnerships sharing the responsibility for loss reduction. The LDCs’ drivers include more widespread education of farmers in the causes of PHLs; better infrastructure to connect smallholders to markets; more effective value chains that provide sufficient financial incentives at the producer level; opportunities to adopt collective marketing and better technologies supported by access to microcredit; and the public and private sectors sharing the investment costs and
risks in market-orientated interventions.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	[1] Paper published in Supplement S1, entitled 'Foresight Project on Global Food and Farming Futures.'
Uncontrolled Keywords:	postharvest food losses (PHLs), waste, developed countries, less developed countries (LDCs)
Subjects:	G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GE Environmental Sciences S Agriculture > S Agriculture (General)
Faculty / School / Research Centre / Research Group:	Faculty of Engineering & Science > Natural Resources Institute Faculty of Engineering & Science > Natural Resources Institute > Food & Markets Department
Related URLs:	Publisher Organisation Organisation
Last Modified:	13 May 2014 12:02
URI:	http://gala.gre.ac.uk/id/eprint/4419

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