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Glossary

Food Loss

Food loss refers to the waste of food that occurs in the field, during transport or in processing. In contrast, food waste denotes waste that occurs in stores or among consumers. Across all stages of the food chain (agriculture, collection points, processing, retail trade, catering and households), 2.8 million tons of food loss and food waste are generated in Switzerland every year. In addition to the financial costs and wasted resources, there is also unnecessary land and water consumption and CO2 emissions during production.

The share of agriculture in food losses is 9% in Switzerland. However, this number can be reduced through the targeted use of plant protection products. Losses from pests, weather and other adversities can be more easily absorbed. The production of the right quantities becomes more efficient (less overproduction due to reserves) and the products can be produced more reliably in market-compliant quality. Biocides can further reduce losses in subsequent storage and processing.

Sources

Terms from the glossary