Food loss measurement | Technical Platform on the Measurement and Reduction of Food Loss and Waste | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

Agenda 2030 and the Global Food Loss Index

Agenda 2030 Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12 to “ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns” includes Target 12.3 “by 2030, halve the per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer level, and reduce food losses along production and supply chains including post-harvest losses”. FAO is working on the Food Loss Index (FLI) indicator for 12.3. Global Feed LCA Institute (GFLI) covers losses occurring on farms, during transport, in storage and during processing. Currently, losses in retail and households are not covered. The reference unit of measure used by GFLI is dietary energy supply, which is expressed in kilocalories (kcal).

IFPRI Food Losses methodology

The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) has developed a methodology that aims to improve the measurement of food losses across the value chain (i.e. farmers, intermediaries and processors). This approach not only measures the quantities of food lost, but importantly takes into consideration deterioration in quality, which entails economic losses. The objectives of the methodology are to: gauge the extent of food losses across a wide array of commodities in developing countries; measure both quantitative and qualitative economic losses; (determine the nodes where losses are more prevalent; and identify particular production processes during which losses occur.

粮食损失和浪费

Indicator SDG 12.3 Video Introduction

The Global Initiative on FLW Reduction has designed a case study method that specifically aims at collecting primary and empirical data on the causes of food losses in developing countries in selected food supply chains. The methodological sequence follows the 4-S approach: 1) Screening, 2) Sampling and Survey, 3) Synthesis, and concluding with the elaboration of a Final Report. The methodology is available as an e-learning course in the Resources page in English, French and Spanish.

GSARS is the largest global effort to improve countries’ capacities to produce agricultural and rural statistics and use them to design more effective food security and agricultural and rural development policies. It involves partners at national, regional and global levels and a global office is hosted by FAO.

Initiated in 2008 by collaboration between the Natural Resources Institute (NRI), the German Ministry of Food, and the European Union’s Joint Research Centre and it is funded by EC. APHLIS uses a model based on previous data to estimate the amount of losses. The algorithm of the calculator uses two datasets, the postharvest loss profiles and seasonal production data. APHLIS is not intended to be a statistical approach. The downloadable loss calculator enables practitioners to change the default values to those that are specific to the situation of interest and to obtain loss estimates at a chosen geographical scale.

German Federal Enterprise for International Cooperation (GIZ) developed a methodology for rapid value chain assessment and does not intend to provide sufficient data for evidence-based policy. It helps identifying loss hot spots that can be followed by in-depth analyses. The toolset has been tested on white rice value chain in Nigeria.

FLW Protocol and Standard is a multi-stakeholder effort for guidance on practical and consistent quantification FLW for countries, companies, and other organizations. The FLW Protocol is convened by the World Resources Institute (WRI) and involves FAO, UNEP, the World Business Council on Sustainable Development (WBCSD), the Consumer Goods Forum, EU project FUSIONS, and Waste and Resources Action Programme as core partners. Its launch if foreseen for 2016.

Go to FAO Food Loss App | FLAPP