Holistics Approaches to Tackling On-Farm Food Loss

The document details a collaborative effort by WWF and produce supply chain stakeholders to address on-farm food loss, which ReFED estimates at nearly 10 million tons annually in the US. It identifies key leverage points—such as rigid contract specifications and cold chain gaps—and proposes five specific interventions: implementing the Stewardship Index for Specialty Crops (SISC) measurement tool, adopting whole crop contracts, leveraging e-commerce for imperfect produce, creating a shared food loss database, and mapping cold chain hotspots.

• On-farm food loss in the US is significant, with ReFED estimating nearly 10 million tons wasted annually on farms. WWF's own research indicates that losses for horticultural crops can vary widely, ranging from 2% to 56%.
• The primary drivers of post-harvest loss are identified as market-driven factors, specifically strict cosmetic specifications, 'walk-by fields' (surplus), and challenges related to the cost and availability of labor.
• The convening proposed five holistic interventions to reduce produce loss: 1) implementing and amplifying a food loss measurement tool (specifically the SISC metric), 2) establishing whole crop contracts between buyers and producers, 3) using e-commerce to maximize the use of imperfect and surplus products, 4) creating a shared food loss database, and 5) mapping food loss and waste hotspots across the cold chain.
• Whole crop contracts are proposed as a way to ensure the absorption of surplus and cosmetically imperfect crops, moving away from the current US retail trend of purchasing based on strict cosmetic specs and projected demand. The report cites Tesco in the UK as a successful example of this transparency and long-term partnership model.
• E-commerce is identified as a viable channel for retailers to sell 'imperfect' or seasonal surplus produce, aligning with a trend where online grocery ordering is expected to reach 21.5% of total sales by 2025.
• There is a critical data gap regarding food loss and waste within the cold chain. The proposed intervention involves researching these gaps to identify recurring waste hotspots and improving best practices for logistics and cold storage companies.

APA

WWF International (2020). Holistics Approaches to Tackling On-Farm Food Loss. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/641/5yhb2r0l34_NFLB_Virtual_Convening_2020_Synthesis_FINAL.pdf

Chicago

WWF International. Holistics Approaches to Tackling On-Farm Food Loss. 2020. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/641/5yhb2r0l34_NFLB_Virtual_Convening_2020_Synthesis_FINAL.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=WWF International |title=Holistics Approaches to Tackling On-Farm Food Loss |date=October 2020 |url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/641/5yhb2r0l34_NFLB_Virtual_Convening_2020_Synthesis_FINAL.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wwfinternational2020holistics, author = {{WWF International}}, title = {{Holistics Approaches to Tackling On-Farm Food Loss}}, institution = {WWF International}, year = {2020}, month = oct, url = {https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/641/5yhb2r0l34_NFLB_Virtual_Convening_2020_Synthesis_FINAL.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }