Quantification of Food Losses and Waste in Peru: A Mass Flow Analysis along the Food Supply Chain

Abstract

The quantification of food losses and waste (FLW) has become a research hotspot in the last decade, but little work has been done to have food waste data in Latin American countries. This paper contributes to addressing this knowledge gap by examining the magnitude of FLW along the whole food supply chain (FSC) in Peru. The methodological approach was based on the top-down mass flow analysis at all steps of the FSC for the 2007–2017 period (most recently available data), including different food commodity groups (CGs), such as cereals, roots and tubers, oil seeds and pulses, fruits, vegetables, meat, fish and seafood, and milk. Results show an annual average of FLW of 12.8 million tonnes, which represents 47.76% of the national food supply. Regarding per capita quantities, the average amount of FLW was 426.56 kg per year when considering the entire FSC, and 67.34 kg per year when considering only the consumption step. This study suggests which steps of the FSC and CGs are the most promising targets for FLW reduction strategies in Peru.

Food consumption and food waste behaviour in households in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic

“…In Latin America, the consumption and food waste in homes is still understudied (Cequea et al, 2021;Schmitt et al, 2021). Within Peru this subject is even less studied and considering Scopus database it may be limited to two research which treat about: (1) Quantification of food losses and waste along the food supply chain (Bedoya and Dal'Magro, 2021), which indicates the knowledge gap by examining the magnitude of food loss and waste along the whole food supply chain in Peru; (2) A comparison between Peruvian and Brazilian household and food consumption and wastage during the pandemic outbreak, which indicates that the intention of reducing food wastage and implementing leftover management routines are related to the economic value of wasted food (Cequea et al, 2021). From this, it is possible to identify the wide existing gap around this subject at the studied territory.…”

Mobile Application with Arduino to Improve the Determination of the Ripening Status of the Fruit

“…[8], up to 20% of an average farmer's production does not meet the specifications demanded by the market, due to quality aspects such as size, shape, color, sweetness or nutrient content. Consequence of the above a study conducted in 2021 [9], shows the results of the analysis of the food supply chain (FSC) in Peru in the period 2007-2017, evidencing that the average annual food loss and waste (FLW) is 12.8 million tons, representing 47.76% of the FSC.…”

Circular Food Systems around the world: exploring concepts, ideas and opportunities

“…To reduce poverty incidence in the region, the Peruvian government has been trying to involve small-scale farmers in the production of high economicvalue crops for international and national markets (i.e., Sierra y selva exportadora program). High transaction costs, poor infrastructure for connectivity to markets, limited water reservoirs for irrigation, and high post-harvest losses are some of the main challenges to success on this aim (Banco Mundial, 2017;Díaz-Valderrama et al, 2020;Bedoya-Perales & Dal' Magro, 2021;Escobal & Cavero, 2012). The inclusion of small-scale Andean farmers in an export-oriented economy has potential to improve livelihoods, especially when participatory approaches are used to involve farmers in the supply of crops to added-value food chains (Devaux et al, 2021).…”