Quantification of Food Loss and Food Waste in the Philippines

Anieluz Concepcion PASTOLERO

Master's thesis

Food Loss and Food Waste: A Case in Southeast Asia

Abstract:

It has been said that losses/wastes in the food supply chain (FSC) in the Philippines reach up to 50% (Mopera, 2016). These losses/wastes are potential food or input in further processing, which means that such levels cannot be tolerated. To address the issue, concrete information is needed as a guide on where interventions are most needed. This thesis quantified the loss/waste generated in the FSC of selected commodities in the Philippines using the methodology put forth by Gustavsson et al. (2013). The adopted methodology required an extensive review of available literature data and entailed two estimation approaches. The first approach showed the accumulated percentages of loss/waste per activity and stage in the FSC and the second one revealed the volumes of loss/waste generated. In terms of percentage loss/waste, the problematic stages are the following: production of corn and sweet potato; processing and packaging of rice, cassava and fish and seafood and; distribution of banana and onion. When compared with the edible food volumes lost/wasted, there are slight differences observed. The following points have the highest edible volumes of loss/waste: production of corn, cassava, sweet potato, and banana; distribution of onion and fish and seafood and; processing and packaging of rice. Although there are main loss/waste points identified, other stages and activities remain problematic as well.

Abstract:

It has been said that losses/wastes in the food supply chain (FSC) in the Philippines reach up to 50% (Mopera, 2016). These losses/wastes are potential food or input in further processing, which means that such levels cannot be tolerated. To address the issue, concrete information is needed as a guide on where interventions are most needed. This thesis quantified the loss/waste generated in the FSC of selected commodities in the Philippines using the methodology put forth by Gustavsson et al. (2013). The adopted methodology required an extensive review of available literature data and entailed two estimation approaches. The first approach showed the accumulated percentages of loss/waste per activity and stage in the FSC and the second one revealed the volumes of loss/waste generated. In terms of percentage loss/waste, the problematic stages are the following: production of corn and sweet potato; processing and packaging of rice, cassava and fish and seafood and; distribution of banana and onion. When compared with the edible food volumes lost/wasted, there are slight differences observed. The following points have the highest edible volumes of loss/waste: production of corn, cassava, sweet potato, and banana; distribution of onion and fish and seafood and; processing and packaging of rice. Although there are main loss/waste points identified, other stages and activities remain problematic as well.

Keywords

Food Loss, Food Waste, Quantification, Philippines

Language used: English

Date on which the thesis was submitted / produced: 8. 6. 2020

Thesis defence

• Supervisor: prof. Maria Sassi

Palacký University Olomouc

Faculty of Science

Master programme / field:
Geography / International Development Studies