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 loss can have far-reaching implications for global food security and food system sustainability. Food loss happens for a range of reasons that vary widely in different contexts. Tackling loss at the producer level makes a lot of sense as what farmers do and don’t do can affect both the price and quality of food sold in markets. What we know at this stage of food supply can help the rest of the supply chain to better manage their affairs to minimise overall food loss from farm to consumer. Greater utilisation along the chain of what is produced at the farm could mean more money for all involved, and more food from less resources.