A framework to quantify mass flow and assess food loss and waste in the US food supply chain

Dong, Wenquan; Armstrong, Kristina; Jin, Mingzhou; Nimbalkar, Sachin; Guo, Wei; Zhuang, Jie; Cresko, Joe

doi:10.1038/s43247-022-00414-9

A framework to quantify mass flow and assess food loss and waste in the US food supply chain

Journal Article · Tue Apr 05 00:00:00 EDT 2022 · Communications Earth & Environment

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-022-00414-9· OSTI ID:1861231

; ; ; ; ; ; Cresko, Joe

Abstract

Reducing food loss and waste can improve the efficiency of food supply chains and provide food security. Here we estimate mass flow as well as food loss and waste along the US food supply chain for 10 commodity groups and nine management pathways to provide a baseline for designing efficient strategies to reduce, recycle, and recover food loss and waste. We estimate a total food loss and waste of 335.4 million metric tonnes from the U.S. food supply chain in 2016. Water evaporation (19%), recycling (55%), and landfill, incineration, or wastewater treatment (23%) accounted for most of the loss and waste. The consumption stage accounted for 57% of the food loss and waste disposed of through landfill, incineration, or wastewater treatment. Manufacturing was the largest contributor to food loss and waste (61%) but had a high recycling rate. High demand, perishable products accounted for 67% of food waste. We suggest that funding for infrastructure and incentives for earlier food donation can promote efficiency and sustainability of the supply chain, promote FLW collection and recycling along the U.S. FSC, and improve consumer education in order to move towards a circular economy.

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Research Organization:: Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE

Grant/Contract Number:: AC05-00OR22725

OSTI ID:: 1861231

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 1864451

Journal Information:: Communications Earth & Environment, Journal Name: Communications Earth & Environment Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 3; ISSN 2662-4435

Publisher:: Nature Publishing GroupCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United Kingdom

Language:: English

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