On-farm post-harvest loss and loss reduction methods: evidence from China

Reducing post-harvest loss (PHL) and waste have become important methods for alleviating food security challenges. Based on survey data from 3490 rural households in 28 provinces in China, we first estimated on-farm PHL and waste and assessed the effects of loss and waste on resources in China. We then proposed potential methods to reduce loss and waste. The results showed that the PHL levels experienced by smallholders varied for different varieties, e.g. 4.36% of maize lost in the postharvest chain, while rice and wheat losses were 5.21% and 5.67%, respectively. Meanwhile, 1.73% of the total food is wasted during consumption every day. These losses and waste caused 38.55 million tons of grain to be lost or wasted in total, which is equivalent to 7.03 million hectares of land and 373.37 billion m3 water being meaninglessly input into grain production. This also means that these losses and waste add 9.68 million tons of carbon emissions. The empirical analysis reveals that mechanical harvesting is associated with a high harvest loss, and modern storage facilities are associated with a low storage loss. To reduce these losses, modern handling practices should be improved and promoted.