Biological factors and production challenges drive significant UK fruit and vegetable loss

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dc.contributor.authorGage, Ewan
dc.contributor.authorTerry, Leon A.
dc.contributor.authorFalagán, Natalia
dc.date.accessioned2024-10-14T12:49:51Z
dc.date.available2024-10-14T12:49:51Z
dc.date.freetoread2024-10-14
dc.date.issued2025-03-15
dc.date.pubOnline2024-09-04
dc.description.abstractBACKGROUND Food loss and waste estimates are highly inconsistent as a result of methodological and systemic differences. Additionally, the absence of in‐depth evidence surrounding the biological drivers of food loss and waste precludes targeted mitigation action. To address this challenge, we undertook a metanalysis utilising a systematic literature review combined with industry stakeholder surveys to examine the incidence of food loss and waste in the UK fruit and vegetable supply chain between primary production and retail. RESULTS We estimated that 37% of fruit and vegetables, equivalent to 2.4 Mt of produce, is lost between production and sale. In the UK, primary production is the main stage responsible for these losses (58%), and is dominated by four crops (apple, onion, carrot and potato), which contribute 71% of total food loss and waste. Quality and supply/demand mismatch are the core drivers, combined with limited ability to control postharvest quality decline as a result of technical or economic barriers. CONCLUSIONS Innate biological mechanisms contribute to, and detract from, marketable quality generating food loss risks where these cannot be adequately modified or controlled. Through climate change effects, reduced pesticide availability, changing consumer behaviour and increased pressure to reduce resource/energy inputs during pre‐ and postharvest handling, food loss and waste risk is likely to increase in the short term unless targeted, coordinated action is taken to actively promote its mitigation.
dc.description.journalNameJournal of the Science of Food and Agriculture
dc.description.sponsorshipEngineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
dc.description.sponsorshipWe thank the Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council for financial support through the project EP/V042548/1.
dc.format.extentpp. 2109-2117
dc.format.mediumPrint-Electronic
dc.identifier.citationGage E, Terry LA, Falagán N. (2025) Biological factors and production challenges drive significant UK fruit and vegetable loss. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, Volume 105, Issue 4, March 2025, pp. 2109-2117en_UK
dc.identifier.eissn1097-0010
dc.identifier.elementsID553299
dc.identifier.issn0022-5142
dc.identifier.issueNo4
dc.identifier.urihttps://doi.org/10.1002/jsfa.13830
dc.identifier.urihttps://dspace.lib.cranfield.ac.uk/handle/1826/23014
dc.identifier.volumeNo105
dc.languageEnglish
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherWileyen_UK
dc.publisher.urihttps://scijournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jsfa.13830
dc.rightsAttribution 4.0 Internationalen
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
dc.subjectnutritionen_UK
dc.subjectchallengeen_UK
dc.subjectclimate changeen_UK
dc.subjectsustainabilityen_UK
dc.subjectfood securityen_UK
dc.subject30 Agricultural, Veterinary and Food Sciencesen_UK
dc.subject3008 Horticultural Productionen_UK
dc.subjectCanceren_UK
dc.subject2 Zero Hungeren_UK
dc.subject12 Responsible Consumption and Productionen_UK
dc.subjectFood Scienceen_UK
dc.titleBiological factors and production challenges drive significant UK fruit and vegetable lossen_UK
dc.typeArticle
dc.type.subtypeReview
dcterms.dateAccepted2024-08-02

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