Agriculture and food
Post-harvest loss
Food lost between harvest and the shop, through poor storage, handling and transport.
Last reviewedWhat does Post-harvest loss mean?
Post-harvest loss is food that is lost after harvest but before it reaches retail, through spoilage, pests, damage in handling, poor storage and slow transport. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates that around 13 percent of food produced is lost in this way, with fruit and vegetables among the worst affected. Example: a farmer harvests 10 tonnes of tomatoes and loses 25 percent before sale, so only 7.5 tonnes earn money, while the cost of growing all 10 tonnes has already been paid. Better storage, packaging, cold chains and faster routes to market reduce losses. Food wasted by shops and households is counted separately as food waste.
Where does it come up in case interview prep?
- How agriculture and food production work: from seed to plateLesson in Agriculture and food production
- Farm economics and the food supply chain: yields, inputs and the cold chainLesson in Agriculture and food production
- Agriculture players, food security, trends 2024 to 2026, and how to crack the casesLesson in Agriculture and food production
Related terms
- Cold chainA temperature-controlled supply chain for food, medicines and other perishables.
- Yield gapThe difference between what farms actually harvest and what they could harvest with better practices.
- Shrink (shrinkage)Inventory lost to theft, damage, errors or spoilage.
- Feed conversion ratio (FCR)Kilograms of feed needed to produce one kilogram of animal weight or output.
- Minimum support price (MSP, India)The price at which the Indian government offers to buy certain crops from farmers.