Reducing food loss and waste contributes to energy, economic and environmental sustainability

Food loss and waste (FLW) reduction presents a major opportunity for enhancing the sustainability and resilience
of the food supply chain. However, the lack of evidence regarding the scale and origins of FLWhinder determination
of its environmental impact and prioritisation of mitigation action. We herein conducted a study to quantify
FLW in the UK horticulture supply chain, and estimate its environmental impact as assessed through CO2 equivalent
(CO2e) emissions. Through a metanalysis of existing literature supplemented with stakeholder engagement,
we estimated that 2.4 Mt of fresh produce FLW is generated annually between farm gate and retail for homegrown
and imported produce, representing 36% of total supply. FLW was perceived as an inevitable economic
risk rather than a sustainability issue, driven by economic factors (e.g. labour shortage, price protectionism). The
lack of economic incentives for FLWrecovery (e.g. alternative processing) further compound FLW. Our results reveal
that FLW contributes 1.7 Mt CO2e annually, constituting 27.2% of the total emissions of the fresh produce
supply chain. Resource-intensive production, prolonged storage and complex handling needs generates substantial
energy demand and concordant environmental impacts. The current over-reliance on cold chain management
should be re-examined to disentangle the FLW-energy-environment nexus, especially given that the effects
of global warming on the horticulture supply chain has yet to be examined. To effectively mitigate FLW, a holistic
approach is imperative, encompassing policy and consumer-level changes alongside development of novel
postharvest management strategies.