ACHIEVING SUSTAINABILITY AND FOOD SECURITY THROUGH POST-HARVEST LOSS AND WASTE REDUCTION IN THE AGRI-FRESH PRODUCE SUPPLY CHAIN

Abstract

The agricultural-fresh produce sector is vital to the economy because it employs rural agricultural and non-agricultural labourers and also plays an important role in international trade and import and export activities. The supply chain of agri-fresh produce is referred to as agri-fresh produce supply chain (AFPSC), which constitutes the processes from production to delivery of the agri-fresh produce, i.e. from the farm to the consumer. In the AFPSC, the agri-fresh produce sector faces problems related to post-harvest loss and waste (PHLW) of agri-fresh produce, such as fruits and vegetables. This PHLW not only misspends the resources such as water, energy, and fertilizers but also threatens food security and negatively impacts society, the economy, and the environment. Compared to other supply chains, the supply chain of agri-fresh produce is characteristically complex and obscured due to its perishable nature, uncertainty in demand, and price volatility. International concern on the issue of PHLW of F&V is clearly reflected in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Target 12.3 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which embody this agenda, calls explicitly for halving per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels by 2030 and reducing food losses along production and supply chains, including post-harvest losses. According to the Business Standard Report 2016, fruit and vegetable PHLW account for 70% of total production in India, estimated to be $13 billion, nearly three times the new agriculture budget. This PHLW is a grand challenge for developing countries like India, where 870 million people sleep hungry at night, 47% of children are underweight, and 46% of those under three years old are too small for their age. Almost half of all childhood deaths are attributed to malnutrition. This research work has four objectives, and the whole thesis is divided into eight chapters. The study was performed with an extensive literature survey and experts' input. The Experts were from different backgrounds food companies’ experts (Senior manager, Area manager, Managing director, Assistant Director, Agriculture coordinator, and Food quality manager), scientists (ICAR- CIPHET), and academicians. The first chapter introduces and presents the essential background and needs for study. It describes the Indian agri-fresh produce industry and the study's motivation and research gaps that arise. The second chapter deals with the literature review, providing an in-depth and exhaustive literature review on the agri-fresh produce supply chain. An extensive literature review on post-harvest loss and waste of fruits and vegetables in the agri-fresh produce supply chain is also discussed. The third chapter presents the research approach followed. It discusses the various multicriteria decision-making methodologies such as Fuzzy- Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL), Fuzzy-Delphi, grey DEMATEL, and graph theoretic and matrix approach (GTMA). The fourth chapter identifies the key factors contributing to the post-harvest loss and waste of fruits and vegetables in AFPSC under five major operational issues (demand forecasting, production planning, transportation, inventory, and inefficient harvesting). In the Indian AFPSC, lack of coordination between production, processing, and the fresh market is a significant causal factor responsible for fruits and vegetables PHLW, followed by a lack of seasonal demand forecasting for non-producing regions.