Food losses, food waste, and beyond in food supply chains: retaining optimum nutrient density

“Food systems” as a concept draws upon systems thinking and facilitates a transdisciplinary approach to address the complexity of delivering the Sustainable Development Goals in developed and developing food regimes. Extant literature has used a food supply chain/systems approach to evaluate sources of food loss and waste (FLW) and their impact on food accessibility and therefore nutrient availability. The maximization of nutrients available to a growing global population is a critical aspect in the sustainable agenda and it is acknowledged that the continued augmentation of food produce is no longer the sole solution. However, there is a drive for greater efficiency, not simply in the resources deployed, but in the utilization of the food produced. This paper argues that FLW are not the only sources of nutrient loss within a supply chain and that there is a loss of nutrient density as the food progresses through the supply chain with the deterioration of nutrients in food within the food supply chain. It is argued here that in parallel to the management of loss and waste, there is a further need for a research agenda to explore the reality of loss of nutrient density holistically as it passes from farm to fork, building on the existing scientific research at each tier within the supply chain