Food Loss and Waste in Southeast Asia

The report identifies a critical gap in food loss and waste (FLW) research in Southeast Asia, noting an over-reliance on technocratic efficiency and a lack of focus on power structures and gender equity. Through case studies in Bali (coffee), regional small-scale fisheries, and Bangkok (urban agriculture), the authors find that socio-institutional innovations—such as social forestry and collective action—are generally more effective than standalone technologies like biogas digesters or solar dryers, which often suffer from poor maintenance and limited local uptake. The report argues that FLW is deeply linked to gender and social inclusion (GESI) gaps, as women often dominate critical loss points in the value chain but lack the resources and decision-making power to implement improvements. It recommends a rights-based, participatory approach aligned with agroecology and the City-Region Food Systems (CRFS) framework to achieve a just food systems transformation.

• Current literature on food loss and waste (FLW) in Southeast Asia is characterized by an over-emphasis on technocratic solutions and a lack of conceptual analysis regarding power structures, food sovereignty, and food justice.
• In Bali's coffee sector, social agroforestry is highlighted as a successful model for climate resilience and circularity, though the potential for organic waste valorization is hindered by gender equity and social inclusion (GESI) gaps.
• Small-scale fisheries in Southeast Asia face a complex trade-off where traditional fish preservation reduces waste, but industrialization and extractive fishing methods degrade ecosystems and threaten future fish stocks.
• Women in the fisheries sector dominate the processing node but face systemic barriers to adopting waste-reducing technologies, such as solar dryers, due to limited access to finance and lower agency compared to men.
• Bangkok demonstrates strong potential for urban food waste valorization through initiatives like Bangkok Rooftop Farming and the BMA's District Food Management Sandbox, though scaling is limited by physical space and labor shortages.
• Socio-institutional innovations, such as cooperatives and policy-led social forestry, show higher efficacy in reducing FLW than purely technological interventions like biogas digesters, which often fail due to high maintenance requirements.
• The report identifies a significant data gap in the region, noting that while overall food loss in Eastern and Southeastern Asia is estimated at 7.5%, specific products like fruits and vegetables experience losses between 15% and 50%.
• Informal waste workers in Bangkok, particularly women and migrants, are systematically excluded from formal waste management systems and resources, which limits the potential for inclusive circularity.

APA

Stockholm Environment Institute (2025). Food Loss and Waste in Southeast Asia. https://www.sei.org/publications/food-loss-waste-southeast-asia/

Chicago

Stockholm Environment Institute. Food Loss and Waste in Southeast Asia. 2025. https://www.sei.org/publications/food-loss-waste-southeast-asia/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Stockholm Environment Institute |title=Food Loss and Waste in Southeast Asia |date=15 August 2025 |url=https://www.sei.org/publications/food-loss-waste-southeast-asia/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{stockholmenvironmentinstitute2025food, author = {{Stockholm Environment Institute}}, title = {{Food Loss and Waste in Southeast Asia}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2025}, month = aug, url = {https://www.sei.org/publications/food-loss-waste-southeast-asia/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }