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      Food Loss and Waste: Measurement, Drivers, and Solutions

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          Abstract

          It has been estimated that one-third of global food is lost or wasted, entailing significant environmental, economic, and social costs. The scale and impact of food loss and waste (FLW) has attracted significant interest across sectors, leading to a relatively recent proliferation of publications. This article synthesizes existing knowledge in the literature with a focus on FLW measurement, drivers, and solutions. We apply the widely adopted DPSIR (Driver-Pressure-State-Impact-Response) framework to structure the review. Key takeaways include the following: Existing definitions of FLW are inconsistent and incomplete, significant data gaps remain (by food type, stage of supply chain, and region, especially for developing countries), FLW solutions focus more on proximate causes rather than larger systemic drivers, and effective responses to FLW will require complementary approaches and robust evaluation.

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          Most cited references113

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          Temperature increase reduces global yields of major crops in four independent estimates.

          Wheat, rice, maize, and soybean provide two-thirds of human caloric intake. Assessing the impact of global temperature increase on production of these crops is therefore critical to maintaining global food supply, but different studies have yielded different results. Here, we investigated the impacts of temperature on yields of the four crops by compiling extensive published results from four analytical methods: global grid-based and local point-based models, statistical regressions, and field-warming experiments. Results from the different methods consistently showed negative temperature impacts on crop yield at the global scale, generally underpinned by similar impacts at country and site scales. Without CO2 fertilization, effective adaptation, and genetic improvement, each degree-Celsius increase in global mean temperature would, on average, reduce global yields of wheat by 6.0%, rice by 3.2%, maize by 7.4%, and soybean by 3.1%. Results are highly heterogeneous across crops and geographical areas, with some positive impact estimates. Multimethod analyses improved the confidence in assessments of future climate impacts on global major crops and suggest crop- and region-specific adaptation strategies to ensure food security for an increasing world population.
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            Is Open Access

            Food waste within food supply chains: quantification and potential for change to 2050

            Food waste in the global food supply chain is reviewed in relation to the prospects for feeding a population of nine billion by 2050. Different definitions of food waste with respect to the complexities of food supply chains (FSCs)are discussed. An international literature review found a dearth of data on food waste and estimates varied widely; those for post-harvest losses of grain in developing countries might be overestimated. As much of the post-harvest loss data for developing countries was collected over 30 years ago, current global losses cannot be quantified. A significant gap exists in the understanding of the food waste implications of the rapid development of ‘BRIC’ economies. The limited data suggest that losses are much higher at the immediate post-harvest stages in developing countries and higher for perishable foods across industrialized and developing economies alike. For affluent economies, post-consumer food waste accounts for the greatest overall losses. To supplement the fragmentary picture and to gain a forward view, interviews were conducted with international FSC experts. The analyses highlighted the scale of the problem, the scope for improved system efficiencies and the challenges of affecting behavioural change to reduce post-consumer waste in affluent populations.
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              Climate Change and Food Systems

              Food systems contribute 19%–29% of global anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, releasing 9,800–16,900 megatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (MtCO2e) in 2008. Agricultural production, including indirect emissions associated with land-cover change, contributes 80%–86% of total food system emissions, with significant regional variation. The impacts of global climate change on food systems are expected to be widespread, complex, geographically and temporally variable, and profoundly influenced by socioeconomic conditions. Historical statistical studies and integrated assessment models provide evidence that climate change will affect agricultural yields and earnings, food prices, reliability of delivery, food quality, and, notably, food safety. Low-income producers and consumers of food will be more vulnerable to climate change owing to their comparatively limited ability to invest in adaptive institutions and technologies under increasing climatic risks. Some synergies among food security, adaptation, and mitigation are feasible. But promising interventions, such as agricultural intensification or reductions in waste, will require careful management to distribute costs and benefits effectively.
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                Author and article information

                Journal
                Annual Review of Environment and Resources
                Annu. Rev. Environ. Resour.
                Annual Reviews
                1543-5938
                1545-2050
                October 17 2019
                October 17 2019
                : 44
                : 1
                : 117-156
                Affiliations
                [1 ]Department of Food Science and Technology, University of California, Davis, California 95616, USA;,
                [2 ]Energy and Resources Group, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, USA;
                [3 ]Department of Biotechnology and Food Engineering, University of California, Davis, California 95616, USA;
                [4 ]Program of Biotechnology and Food Engineering, Guangdong Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Shantou, Guangdong Province 515063, China;
                [5 ]Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, University of California, Davis, California 95616, USA;,
                [6 ]Nutrition Policy Institute, University of California, Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Oakland, California 94607, USA;
                [7 ]Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California, Davis, California 95616, USA;
                [8 ]The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), Banbury, Oxon OX16 5BH, United Kingdom;
                [9 ]Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Davis, California 95616, USA;
                [10 ]Agricultural Sustainability Institute, University of California, Davis, California 95616, USA;
                Article
                10.1146/annurev-environ-101718-033228
                c06f2c5b-cc33-485b-8dee-9299d06b77d6
                © 2019
                History

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