Reduce Nutrient Losses Research Articles

The Impact of Agricultural Machinery Services on Food Loss at the Producer Level: Evidence from China

Reducing food loss can improve environmental sustainability, resource use, and food security. Agricultural machinery services have considerable advantages in enhancing the adaptability and competitiveness of farms, but little is known about its potential for addressing food loss. Here, this work attempts to reveal a strong yet under-discussed connection between agricultural machinery services and food loss. Using survey data covering 483 corn farmers in the Heilongjiang, Jilin, and Liaoning provinces of China from October to December 2024, this study examined the extent to which participation in agricultural machinery services reduced food loss. Our results confirmed the existence of this significant causal effect and estimated 0.864% and 0.862% reductions in weight and value losses in response to a 1% increase in the purchase of agricultural machinery services. The possible mechanisms driving this relationship, including factor allocation optimization and technology introduction, were further verified. A variety of robustness tests were conducted to validate the strength and reliability of the empirical results and address endogeneity issues. Also, to better contextualize the heterogeneous effects of agricultural machinery services on food loss, the differences across production links, land fragmentation, and service quality were explored. By highlighting the important roles of agricultural machinery services in reducing food loss, our analysis contributed to contemporary debates about the long-term linkage between the wide popularization of agricultural machinery services and achieving food security, particularly providing insights for developing countries.

Food loss in Pacific Island Countries: a scoping review of the literature

Food loss and waste pose significant challenges to global food security, economic development, and environmental sustainability. Pacific Island Countries (PICs), with limited resources, being geographically isolated, and vulnerable to climate change, face unique challenges when it comes to the issue of food loss. This scoping review aims to systematically map the literature on food loss in PICs, addressing knowledge gaps and understanding specific methodological aspects. The review utilizes the PRISMA-ScR process to identify, categorize, and synthesize relevant literature, offering a comprehensive overview of the existing evidence. Studies focusing on food loss in PICs published in English from 2011 to 2023 were included. Exclusion criteria considered studies conducted outside PICs, those lacking food loss reduction interventions, and non-peer-reviewed sources. A comprehensive literature search was conducted using the databases of JSTOR, Scopus, Science Direct and Web of Science. A total of 5,787 studies for food loss interventions were identified and out of these only 49 met the inclusion criteria. A notable increase in publications from 2011, with a significant surge in 2018 and 2019, indicate a growing interest on the topic. The review reveals a limited focus on this issue across individual PICs and underscores the need for more localized expertise in the region. The review also highlights critical inefficiencies in PIC food supply chains and the need for more studies outside the common root crop agricultural system. The scoping review identified three thematic categories addressing food loss in PICs, namely., the lack of infrastructure and need for innovative technology for post-harvest management; increased vulnerability to climate change and postharvest risks of newer convenient markets. The findings underscore the need for holistic and context-specific approaches to create resilient and sustainable food systems in the Pacific, providing valuable insights for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners involved in addressing these challenges.

Quantitative and qualitative food losses of African indigenous vegetables along the value chain: A systematic literature review

African indigenous vegetables (AIV) have high densities of important micronutrients but qualitative and quantitative food losses along the value chains could threaten their nutritional potential in Africa. We conduct a systematic review of the estimations of food quality losses of AIV along their value chains. Our review reveals that there is generally limited evidence on food quality losses along AIV value chains. In addition, existing studies are often of low quality and have inadequate experimental descriptions. For our final analysis, we consider the yields and malnutrition-relevant nutrients for two major AIV, vegetable amaranth ( Amaranthus ssp) and African nightshade ( Solanum nigrum and Solanum scarbrum). We observe a consistent and substantial decrease in carotenoids and iron contents starting from selecting appropriate seed material to processing practices. Losses are particularly severe at seed selection and production. Almost half of the original potential is lost after cultivation for the reviewed nutrients. While qualitative losses appear to be significant during post-harvest, processing by consumers leads to comparatively small reductions. While our results suggest that the current value chains need to be improved to supply nutrient-rich foods to urban and peri-urban areas, better data are also needed to conduct more comprehensive assessments of nutrition-sensitive AIV value chains and to derive evidence-based interventions to reduce nutrient losses for AIV along the value chain.

Trends of Soil and Solution Nutrient Sensing for Open Field and Hydroponic Cultivation in Facilitated Smart Agriculture.

Efficient management of soil nutrients is essential for optimizing crop production, ensuring sustainable agricultural practices, and addressing the challenges posed by population growth and environmental degradation. Smart agriculture, using advanced technologies, plays an important role in achieving these goals by enabling real-time monitoring and precision management of nutrients. In open-field soil cultivation, spatial variability in soil properties demands site-specific nutrient management and integration with variable-rate technology (VRT) to optimize fertilizer application, reduce nutrient losses, and enhance crop yields. Hydroponic solution cultivation, on the other hand, requires precise monitoring and control of nutrient solutions to maintain optimal conditions for plant growth, ensuring efficient use of water and fertilizers. This review aims to explore recent trends in soil and solution nutrient sensing technologies for open-field soil and facilitated hydroponic cultivation, highlighting advancements that promote efficiency and sustainability. Key technologies include electrochemical and optical sensors, Internet of Things (IoT)-enabled monitoring, and the integration of machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) for predictive modeling. Blockchain technology is also emerging as a tool to enhance transparency and traceability in nutrient management, promoting compliance with environmental standards and sustainable practices. In open-field soil cultivation, real-time sensing technologies support targeted nutrient application by accounting for spatial variability, minimizing environmental risks such as runoff and eutrophication. In hydroponic solution cultivation, precise solution sensing ensures nutrient balance, optimizing plant health and productivity. By advancing these technologies, smart agriculture can achieve sustainable crop production, improved resource efficiency, and environmental protection, fostering a resilient food system.

Reducing food losses in agri-food supply chains; a multi-faceted approach

ABSTRACT The agricultural food supply chain faces critical challenges from rising demand for fresh produce and increasing food safety concerns, resulting in significant losses. Temperature-sensitive products are especially vulnerable, worsening malnutrition and food insecurity, particularly in developing nations. This study seeks to improve the efficiency of food systems in these economies by investigating the relationship between operational capability and food loss in Ghana's cold chain for frozen fish and chicken. Using data from 298 cold storage facilities across Ghana’s key regions, the analysis reveals that operational capability alone does not significantly reduce food loss. However, when operational capability interacts with supply chain visibility, there is a substantial positive impact on cold chain integrity, leading to a reduction in food loss. These findings suggest that enhancing supply chain visibility is critical for firms to reduce losses, which has practical implications for addressing cold chain inefficiencies and improving food security in developing nations.

State-level policies alone are insufficient to meet the federal food waste reduction goal in the United States.

The United States Food Loss and Waste Reduction Goal seeks to reduce national food waste by 50%, down to 74 kg per capita, by 2030. Here we investigate state policies' alignment with the federal goal across four policy categories. We develop a policy scoring matrix and apply it to wasted food solutions listed in the non-profit ReFED's database to derive ranges of food waste diversion potential and projected generation across states. On the basis of state policies alone, no state can meet the federal target. We estimated a diversion potential of 5-14 kg per capita and a food waste generation of 149 kg per capita nationally in 2022, equivalent to the 2016 baseline. Without additional intervention at the state and federal level promoting a shift from food waste recycling towards prevention, rescue and repurposing, food generation in the United States will probably remain high.

Controlled-release nitrogen combined with ordinary nitrogen fertilizer improved nitrogen uptake and productivity of winter wheat.

Blending controlled-release nitrogen fertilizer (CRNF) with ordinary nitrogen fertilizer (ONF) is a strategic approach to improve winter wheat nutrient management. This blend provides nitrogen (N) to winter wheat in a balanced and consistent manner, ensuring long-term growth, reducing nutrient loss due to leaching or volatilization, and increasing N use efficiency (NUE). CRNF aims to enhance N application suitability, optimizes soil nutrient dynamics, and its widespread use can boost crop NUE and yield. The study investigates how different CRNF and ONF blending ratios affect soil N content, winter wheat growth, and yield. The experiment used two N application rates of 192(N1) and 240(N2) kg ha-1 of ONF, with five different blending ratios CRNF. The proportions of CRNF were 0%(F1), 30%(F2), 50%(F3), 70%(F4), and 100%(F5), respectively. The effects of changes in soil nitrate concentration, dry matter accumulation, N uptake, and transportation at various growth stages and yield were analyzed. CRNF at the jointing and anthesis stages helps maintain nitrate N levels throughout the growth cycle. Compared to full CRNF application at different N rates, this method also reduces nitrate N leaching in the soil. The 0-60 cm soil layer was primarily influenced by increasing the proportion of CRNF, especially from jointing to maturity. CRNF promotes a higher plant population during the turning green and jointing stages by increasing soil N content, thereby establishing a strong yield foundation for winter wheat. It increases winter wheat N accumulation and correlates positively with soil N content during key growth stages. Winter wheat grain yield has increased, with significant yield increases observed at 70% blending with a higher amount of N at 240 kg ha-1 and achieved a 2.8% increase in NUE and a 3.0%-15.3% increase in grain yield. In order to improved winter wheat yields through effective N utilization, N2 application (240 kg ha-1) with the combination of (F4) 30% ONF + 70% CRNF would be recommended for northwest region of Shaanxi province in China. By increasing the amount of N accumulation at the anthesis stage, N transport is significantly increased after anthesis, and N accumulation and distribution ratio in grains are significantly increased at maturity.

Systematic review on mitigation of food loss and waste in the milk supply chain

One of the challenges of food security programs is reducing food loss and food waste in the supply chain. Food loss and waste (FLW) are not only about quantity loss but also quality loss throughout the milk supply chain. Therefore, a mitigation program is necessary to prevent FLW. This article discusses a systematic literature review on food loss and waste mitigation in the milk supply chain. The review is based on the ROSES (Reporting Standard for Systematics Evidence Synthesis) standard. The study selects articles from two primary databases, Web of Science and Scopus, and three additional databases: Science Direct, Google Scholar, and Dimensions. The review was divided into three themes based on the causes of food loss and waste: animal health, actor performance, and managerial approach. This paper suggests several significant contributions to the body of knowledge and practice. The findings highlight that collaboration among supply chain stakeholders is essential to mitigate FLW. This review gives new insight into FLW phenomena in the milk supply chain and it offers an alternative for the supply chain actors to identify the mitigation strategies.

Cu-Doped MnO2 Catalysts for Effective Fruit Preservation via Ozone Synergistic Catalytic Oxidation.

Developing and implementing technologies that can significantly reduce food loss during storage and transport are of paramount importance. Ozone synergistic catalytic oxidation (OSCO) technology has been developed, which sterilizes bacteria and viruses on the surface of food and degrades ethylene released during fruit storage through the active oxygen produced by the catalytic decomposition of ozone. Herein, we report the hydrothermal synthesis of MnO2 with distinct phase compositions and nanostructures through simply varying the reaction temperatures. Optimized copper-doped α-MnO2 nanorods exhibited remarkable efficacy in activating ozone at a concentration of 40 ppb, and this activation resulted in the complete eradication of indicator bacteria on food surfaces within a 24 h period. Moreover, these nanorods demonstrated high effectiveness in decomposing more than 80% of the ethylene molecules emitted by apples and bananas during the preservation period. The high concentration of surface oxygen vacancies is believed to contribute to the enhanced catalytic activity of the Cu-doped α-MnO2 catalyst in the OSCO procedure by reducing ethylene production and maintaining the fruit quality during the preservation period.

Optimization of microwave-assisted extraction of bajra milk using response surface methodology

Millets, especially bajra, are known for their ability to thrive in harsh climates and resist pests. Bajra contains high nutritional values, including a high level of protein, fiber and essential minerals like iron, zinc, calcium and magnesium. Plant-based beverages such as bajra milk are becoming more popular as lactose-free, nutritious alternatives to dairy milk. Bajra milk is rich in antioxidants, phenolic acids and flavonoids, offering health benefits such as improved heart health, diabetes control and immune system support. Microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) has proven to be an energy-efficient and a sustainable technique for producing plant-based milks like bajra milk. Compared to conventional methods, MAE reduces nutrient loss, speeds up the process and improves the protein content, viscosity and sensory acceptability. Response surface methodology (RSM) was used to optimize the extraction processes, identifying ideal conditions of soaking time of 16 h, microwave time of 1.5 min and a temperature of 85 ?C. Under these parameters, the extraction yield was 70.23 %, with a protein content of 5.57 g/100 ml and an overall acceptability rating of 7.2. The aim of this present study is to use the RSM tool to optimize the microwave-assisted extraction of bajra milk and compare the physicochemical and nutritional properties of the conventional method and MAE, MAE bajra milk as a cost effective, ecofriendly solution for large scale plant-based milk production positioning bajra as a valuable alternative.

A call for perfectly imperfect fruit and vegetables: food loss in public procurement

Despite increasing awareness, food loss and waste in food supply chains remains a significant challenge resulting in environmental risks and ethical concerns, shaped by the conflicting logics of abundance and scarcity. Systemic overproduction, driven by high-quality demands and the perishability of fresh food, underscores the need for new approaches to food procurement. This article explores the relationship between public procurement processes and significant loss of fresh fruit and vegetables in Denmark. Two major Danish wholesalers and Copenhagen municipality’s food procurement agency formed the empirical basis for an ethnographic study undertaken between 2020 and 2023. The study involved participant observation at the wholesalers, semi-structured interviews, and informal conversations with a broad range of actors across the public food procurement chain. Findings revealed that the food quality requirements that guide everyday practices of quality assessment, both contractually and culturally, are being pushed to the limits of what growing seasons, shelf-life characteristics and distribution systems can accommodate. This results in practices where food produce that is still usable is thrown away. This article emphasizes the need for novel understandings of quality parameters in order to (re)design structures in the public food procurement process so that reducing food loss can be adopted as a regulatory tool within procurement contracts.

Impact of Reducing Food Loss and Waste on Sustainable Food Systems

Impact of Reducing Food Loss and Waste on Sustainable Food Systems

Monitoring Perishable Commodities Using Cellular IoT: An Intelligent Real-Time Conditions Tracker Design

Perishable product losses can occur throughout postharvest handling. Proper monitoring of key environmental conditions during this period is essential for predicting quality losses throughout their shelf life. This paper presents the design and testing of a portable and compact datalogger for the real-time monitoring of environmental conditions throughout the food supply chain. The device developed incorporates high-precision sensors to measure temperature, relative humidity, CO2 concentration, luminosity and vibrations, as well as wireless communication capabilities for data transmission, simplifying real-time monitoring over existing multi-component systems while keeping costs affordable. Strategies to optimize power consumption allow a month of battery life, being able to cover entire periods of transport and storage, according to the results of the autonomy test performed on the device. The datalogger uses NB-IoT and relies on other wireless communication protocols if not available to send sensor data to a cloud platform. Comparative testing with commercial dataloggers has been carried out to verify correct device measurements, and field testing has validated successful real-time data transmission along an entire refrigerated transport route. The functionality and autonomy of the proposed device meet the needs of live remote monitoring to help reduce food losses.

Implementasi Zero Foodwaste Sebagai Upaya Pengelolaan Foodloss dan Food Waste pada Restoran Gardenia Sintesa Peninsula Hotel Manado

Indonesia's food waste generation is the second largest in the world after Saudi Arabia. Food waste generation in Indonesia is estimated at 300 kilograms per person per year, while in Saudi Arabia it is 427 kilograms per person per year (Luna, & Suryana, 2022). Hotel, restaurant, catering, and household waste contribute to this waste. This research was conducted to determine the importance of awareness and understanding by restaurants as one of the contributors to food waste in Indonesia related to the issue of food waste. The approach model applied is descriptive qualitative. Data is presented in descriptive form, with this approach focusing on in-depth explanation and description of the phenomenon under study. The results showed that the main factors causing food waste at Peninsula Manado hotel were inaccuracy in organising buffet set-up, and negligence from consumers who could not manage their portions properly. The implication of this research is the need to have a special management system from the hotel in reducing food loss and food waste.

Developing High-Quality Horticultural Products With Network Culture and Marketing Potential in Reducing Food Loss and Waste

The agricultural sector faces challenges in meeting the demand for high quality Horticultural products as the world population grows. Tissue Culture techniques involve growing plants in a controlled environment, offering an innovative solution to increase agricultural production. This research explores the commercial opportunities and appropriate marketing strategies in developing high-quality agricultural products through tissue culture, as well as analyzing its role in addressing food loss and wastage. Through a literature review and questionnaires, this study shows that the use of superior tissue-cultured seeds, the application of proper cultivation techniques, and good post-harvest handling can produce high-quality horticultural products. Effective marketing, such as the use of digital technology and market analysis, plays an important role in marketing these products. In addition, proper sterilization and technical manipulation in tissue culture can reduce contamination and seedling loss, thus contributing to addressing Food Loss and Waste. This research provides valuable insights for the development of high-quality horticultural products through tissue culture, as well as the implementation of marketing strategies and agricultural practices that support global food security. In addition, tissue culture techniques that involve sterilization and proper technical manipulation can reduce contamination and seed loss, thereby contributing to overcoming the problem of food loss and waste. Overall, this study provides insights into how to develop high-quality agricultural products and effective marketing strategies, especially by leveraging digital technology to sell products online in order to reduce food loss and maximize profits. Thus, the development of high-quality horticultural products through tissue culture can support global food security.

Optimizing Agricultural Production Through the Internet of Things: Innovative Solutions to Reduce Food Loss and Waste

Significant food loss and waste along agricultural supply chains is a global challenge that threatens food security and environmental sustainability. This research aims to explore the potential of Internet of Things (IoT) technology as an innovative solution to overcome these problems. Through an interdisciplinary approach that combines agriculture, information technology and sustainability, this research develops an integrated Internet of Things (IoT) system that can efficiently monitor, analyze and manage the entire agricultural supply chain process. The proposed Internet of Things (IoT) solution includes a wireless sensor network for real-time monitoring of environmental conditions, crop growth, and activity on farmland, as well as a cloud-based analytics platform to process data and provide optimal recommendations. In addition, this system also allows food product traceability and information transparency along the supply chain. Respondents who are agricultural managers have a positive perception of the use of Internet of Things (IoT) technology in their agricultural activities. The research instrument (questionnaire) used was also proven to be valid and reliable in measuring related variables. Thus, this research concludes that the application of Internet of Things (IoT) technology in smart farming has great potential to optimize input use, increase crop productivity, and significantly reduce food loss and waste through better monitoring and control along the agricultural supply chain.

Waste, the real villain: a comprehensive analysis and prospective perspective on food loss and waste in China

IntroductionOne of the best ways to ensure food security is to reduce Food Loss and Waste (FLW). However, China still confronts numerous obstacles in food loss and waste study because of the intricate industrial chain, the wide range of accounting standards, and a lack of data, among other reasons.MethodsUsing the literature analysis method, 119 literatures were collected and analyzed to examine the current status of FLW in China at various stages after food production and throughout the life cycle from the perspectives of time series and research areas.ResultsThe study indicates that the rates of FLW in China have been higher than 20% in recent years and are still increasing. Among them, the highest FLW rates were found in the harvesting stage (3–6%), storage stage (8–10%) and consumption stage (10–17%). In addition, FLW results in a huge waste of resource endowments.DiscussionThe environment and resources are profoundly affected by these substantial food losses and wastes, leading to unnecessary depletion of resources. As China’s focus on food loss and waste intensifies, an increasing number of academics are expected to delve into this area, exploring dimensions such as ecological footprint assessment, innovative uses for food waste, and gathering primary data.

Reducing Food Loss and Waste in the Hospitality and Food Service Sector: A Design Thinking Approach

Food loss and waste is a global issue that occurs in all stages of the food supply chain and leads to negative environmental impacts. The Hospitality and Food Service (HaFS) industry is the second largest contributor to food waste. This research investigates the challenges that the HaFS businesses face in adopting sustainable waste reduction strategies using the double diamond design thinking methodology proposed by the UK Design Council. It was discovered that most HaFS businesses do not measure or report on Food Loss and Waste (FLW) due to a lack of clarity on how to do so, complex solutions, low cost-benefit ratios and consequently low motivation. Also, businesses that implement some level of FLW reduction strategies often prioritise post-plate waste and set arbitrary targets which are difficult to achieve sustainably. The research proposes a two-step innovative solution to this problem. The first step involves using a Systems Dynamic (SD) model to represent the complex internal operations in food preparation to reveal its waste hotspots, and to predict the optimal achievable FLW targets within that system. While the second step proposes a system-specific FLW reduction framework based on the SD model parameters that deliver the optimal waste reduction solution.

Pennycress reduces potential for nutrient loss in Illinois.

Nutrient export of nitrogen and phosphorus from row crop agriculture in the Upper US Midwest is a threat to the structure and function of aquatic systems. To meet Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) nutrient reduction goals, the Upper US Midwest needs to implement strategies to reduce nutrient export from agriculture. Studies demonstrate the potential of cover crops to reduce the export of nitrate-nitrogen from the Upper US Midwest. We investigated the impact of the economically viable winter cash cover crop pennycress (Thlaspi arvense) on soil porewater nutrients and soil nutrients and characteristics. We used nine replicated 0.8ha plots (n=3 per treatment) at a production scale research farm over 4 years with pennycress and fertilized pennycress (56kg ha-1 of urea) treatments compared to a fallow reference. Over the study period, soil porewater nitrate-nitrogen was reduced by 53% in pennycress plots and 34% in fertilized pennycress plots relative to the fallow reference at a depth of 45cm. Early season establishment was crucial in providing nutrient reduction potential. In 2021, poor pennycress establishment resulted in porewater nitrate-nitrogen concentrations 141% higher than in 2022 with excellent pennycress establishment. Following pennycress termination, soil nitrate-nitrogen was reduced by 24% in pennycress and 26% in fertilized pennycress compared to the fallow reference in the top 30cm of soil. Following 4 years of pennycress planting, nitrate-nitrogen concentrations were significantly reduced with no broad effect on soil characteristics. We conclude that the novel pennycress crop has potential to reduce nutrient loss from row crop agriculture in the Upper US Midwest.

Improved manure management moves trade-off and synergy relationships among environmental indicators in desirable directions

CONTEXTDairy production systems with a high stocking density are strongly dependent on external feed resources and concentrate nutrients in manure on a small surface area, thus causing environmental challenges. Both improved manure management and integration of crop-dairy production have been proposed as ways to reduce nutrient losses and improve sustainability of intensive dairy production. However, the potential interactive relationships between these two options are rarely investigated. OBJECTIVEThis study aimed to investigate how different manure management technologies influence nutrient losses at manure management and farm levels and how manure management impacts farm multi-objective optimization results for more integrated crop-dairy production. METHODSA whole farm model (FarmDESIGN) extended with a manure management module (FarmM3) was used to simulate an intensive mixed crop-dairy farm with a herd of 66 cows and 9.6 ha of crop area. The optimization aimed to improve farm environmental performance, increase feed self-sufficiency and food production. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONSThe results showed that individual manure management technologies were insufficient to reduce nitrogen (N) losses from manure management chains due to compensatory losses, whereas combinations of slurry solid-liquid separation, covered storage of solid and liquid fractions, and improved manure application could remarkably reduce N losses by 46 to 58 % and increase manure N use efficiencies by more than 30 %. Improved manure management did not influence total N losses at farm level without decreasing livestock density. Multi-objective optimization showed that improved manure management did not eliminate trade-offs or synergies among objectives but did affect the positions and the slopes of the solution frontiers between objectives. Differences between solution frontiers of alternative farm configurations in terms of N volatilization, soil N losses and soil organic matter (OM) balance indicated that manure management chains (MMCs) could be designed effectively to optimize these objectives. SIGNIFICANCEThis study confirmed the value of improved manure management and integrated crop-dairy production in reducing N losses and improving farm nutrient use efficiency. For intensive dairy farms with limited land availability, future studies should focus on recoupling crop and dairy production at regional scales to create more sustainable and resilient food production systems.