FLM Briefing Series No. 8

Unveiling Losses of Tomato in Retail Markets: Some Findings from the Kandy District of Sri Lanka Like most other fruits, Tomatoes are best when ripened on the plant. However, it is not a luxury that trading systems can afford. To enable trade, fruits are often picked a little earlier, leaving the final stage of readiness…

FLM Briefing Series No. 7

COSTS OF THE COMMONLY USED PACKAGING METHODS IN TOMATO SUPPLY CHAIN IN SRI LANKA Food loss and waste in the fresh produce supply chain account for 270,000 tonnes (Tn) or 30-40% annually-about LKR 20 billion (Bn) to the economy of Sri Lanka going down the drain. Of all fruits and vegetables, tomatoes stand out as…

FLM Briefing Series No. 6

Food For the Future: Putting an old-fashioned ingredient in Rice Husks, ‘Silicon’ to produce high quality tomatoes Food loss – Perishability and decay of food from farm to retail that diminish the market value and nutrition value is a major problem in the food system. It hurts the livelihoods of farmers, reduce the efficiency of…

FLM Briefing Series No. 5

Mastering Mango Handling: Elevating Sri Lanka’s Mango Quality for Local and Export Markets In Sri Lanka, where many different kinds of mangoes grow well, farmers have a good chance of marketability both in Sri Lanka and other countries. But there’s a problem: a lot of mangoes get spoiled or damaged after they are picked, and…

FLM Briefing Series No. 4

Ripe for Change: Tackling Tomato Loss at the Producer Level Food loss and waste can mean loss of usable food for consumers and income to producers. It could also mean negative environmental impacts and social costs as unrecovered food still consumes resources to produce, and food waste contributes to global greenhouse gas emissions. Mitigating food…

FLM Briefing Series No. 2

Unravelling Fallacies about Tomato Food Loss at the Retail Level Considerable volumes of fruits and vegetables often get discarded before reaching the consumer.1 In Sri Lanka, such wastage could be as high as 270,000 tonnes (Tn) each year, worth around Sri Lankan Rupees (LKR) 20 billion (Bn).2 The firm and juicy tomatoes we all want…