Assessment of food losses and waste at the Tshwane market and small scale farms

Abstract

Food losses and waste are issues of global concern as they contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. It is estimated that agricultural production and marketing contribute a large portion of food waste in the value chain. This paper reports on findings of a research study conducted in Tshwane Fresh Produce Market (TFPM) within the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality (CTMM) and on small-scale vegetable farms in Limpopo province. The aim of the study was to assess food losses and waste in a small-scale production context and at a fresh produce market. Questionnaires were used to collect information on the amount of food wasted or lost, reasons for the wastage and methods employed to reduce waste. It was found that food loss varied depending on the crop, and even on the variety of produce. The main causes for food wastage at the farm level are weather conditions, damage from insects and birds. Sixty percent of farmers divert their food waste for animal feeding. On average five thousand tonnes of food is wasted every year in the Tshwane fresh produce market and the main cause of wastage is oversupply by farmers. The study concluded that the highest losses occur at the preharvesting stage and growers often have little control over how much produce is lost.