Investigating the Potential Effects of Food Waste Reduction Interventions Within the Leafy Vegetable Supply Chain in Kermanshah Province, Iran

Mostafa Moradi, Hossein Shabanali Fami (), Ali Akbar Barati, Felicitas Schneider, Lusine Henrik Aramyan () and Reza Salehi Mohammadi
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Mostafa Moradi: Department of Agricultural Management and Development, University of Tehran, Karaj P.C. 31518-77871, Iran
Hossein Shabanali Fami: Department of Agricultural Management and Development, University of Tehran, Karaj P.C. 31518-77871, Iran
Ali Akbar Barati: Department of Agricultural Management and Development, University of Tehran, Karaj P.C. 31518-77871, Iran
Felicitas Schneider: Johann Heinrich von Thünen Institute, Federal Research Institute for Rural Areas, Forestry and Fisheries, Bundesallee 63, 38116 Braunschweig, Germany
Lusine Henrik Aramyan: Wageningen Social and Economic Research, Wageningen University & Research, P.O. Box 35, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands
Reza Salehi Mohammadi: Department of Horticultural Sciences, University of Tehran, Karaj P.C. 31518-77871, Iran

Agriculture, 2024, vol. 14, issue 12, 1-27

Abstract: Despite the increasing concerns regarding meeting the world’s future food demand, there is still a substantial quantity of food loss and waste (FLW), particularly concerning fruits and vegetables. In the case of Kermanshah province, inefficiencies within the leafy vegetable supply chpain (LVSC) contribute to an alarming annual waste of 39% of leafy vegetables. Although several studies have proposed strategies and recommendations for mitigating this waste, the actual impact of these interventions on reducing FLW has not been thoroughly examined or quantified. Using System Dynamic Modeling, this study offers a novel approach to quantify the impact of interventions on waste reduction. The quantification results reveal four key interventions reducing vegetable waste at the production stage: biotic (31.2%) and abiotic stress control (14.4%), improved educational services (23.2%), and access to quality inputs (15.2%). Furthermore, the results suggest that early-stage factors in the LVSC play a crucial role in determining waste accumulation in later stages. Improvements in packaging facilities and cold supply chain infrastructure, along with better coordination and information sharing among stakeholders at the market stage, significantly help reduce waste. Additionally, effective planning for household food shopping is emphasized as a crucial strategy for minimizing waste at the consumption stage. This holistic approach focuses on the interconnectedness of actions across various stages of the supply chain and their combined effect on decreasing the overall waste of leafy vegetables.

Keywords: food loss and waste; leafy vegetable supply chain; waste reduction interventions; system dynamic modeling; Kermanshah (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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