Minimising food waste: a call for multidisciplinary research

dc.contributor.authorAlamar, M. Carmen
dc.contributor.authorFalagán, Natalia
dc.contributor.authorAktas, Emel
dc.contributor.authorTerry, Leon A.
dc.date.accessioned2017-10-12T18:09:31Z
dc.date.available2017-10-12T18:09:31Z
dc.date.issued2017-09-30
dc.description.abstractFood losses and waste has always been a significant global problem for mankind, and one which has become increasingly recognised as such by policy makers, food producers, processors, retailers, and consumers. It is however an emotive subject whereby the extent, accuracy, and resolution of available data on postharvest loss and waste is questionable such that key performance indicators on waste can be misinformed. The nature and extent of food waste differs amongst developed economies, economies in transition, and developing economies. Whilst most emphasis has been put on increasing future crop production, far less resource has been and is still channelled towards enabling both established and innovative food preservation technologies to reduce food waste while maintaining safety and quality. Reducing food loss and waste is a more tractable problem than increasing production in the short to medium term, as its solution is not directly limited, for instance, by available land and water resources. Here we argue the need for a paradigm shift of current funding strategies and research programmes which will encourage the development, implementation, and translation of collective biological, engineering, and management solutions to better preserve and utilise food. Such cross disciplinary thinking across global supply chains is an essential element in the pursuit of sustainable food and nutritional security. The implementation of allied technological and management solutions is reliant on there being sufficient skilled human capital and resource. There is currently a lack of robust postharvest research networks outside of the developed world, and insufficient global funding mechanisms which can support such interdisciplinary collaborations. There is thus a collective need for schemes which encourage inter-supply chain research, knowledge exchange and capacity building to reduce food losses and waste.en_UK
dc.identifier.citationM. Carmen Alamar, Natalia Falagán, Emel Aktas and Leon Terry. Minimising food waste: a call for multidisciplinary research. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, Volume 98, Issue 1, January 2018, pp8-11en_UK
dc.identifier.issn0022-5142
dc.identifier.urihttp://dx.doi.org/10.1002/jsfa.8708
dc.identifier.urihttp://dspace.lib.cranfield.ac.uk/handle/1826/12627
dc.language.isoenen_UK
dc.publisherWileyen_UK
dc.rightsAttribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
dc.subjectPostharvest lossen_UK
dc.subjectsustainabilityen_UK
dc.subjectfood securityen_UK
dc.subjectfresh produceen_UK
dc.titleMinimising food waste: a call for multidisciplinary researchen_UK
dc.typeArticleen_UK

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