Why So Much Food Is Lost In The Supply Chain | Food, Wasted 2/3
Summary
TLDRThis script highlights the significant issue of food waste in the supply chain, particularly in Asia, where up to 40% of food is lost post-harvest due to poor handling and storage. Innovative solutions like solar dehydrators and edible coatings are presented to combat spoilage. Social enterprises and businesses like S4S and Tanihab Group are working to streamline the supply chain, reduce waste, and connect farmers directly with consumers, ensuring fresher produce and better market alignment.
Takeaways
- 🌏 Fresh produce from around the world faces significant challenges in the supply chain, with up to 40% of food in Asia lost after harvest due to poor handling and storage.
- 🇮🇳 In India, 30-40% of food waste occurs in the supply chain, which could equate to providing every family with 5 kg of fruits and vegetables weekly if saved.
- 🍠 Farmers often lack proper storage facilities, leading to the rotting of produce like potatoes and onions when exposed to moisture.
- 🌞 Refrigeration in rural India is rare due to the high cost of electricity, making it difficult to prevent spoilage in hot and humid weather.
- 🌡️ Signs for Society, a social enterprise, has developed solar-powered dehydrators to extend the shelf life of produce like onions, turmeric, and potatoes.
- 🛒 S4S, another innovative model, sorts, grades, and packs produce using special polymer packaging to maintain freshness and nutrients, serving over 700 customers including major brands.
- 🏭 Tanihab, founded by Ekkas, shortens the supply chain by establishing warehouses to receive goods directly from farms, reducing damage and spoilage.
- 🛠️ Honey Heart built a processing and packing plant to minimize human handling and reduce damage, using sorting machines to assess and categorize produce.
- 🔬 Scientists are exploring edible food coatings made from silk cocoons and low-cost aerogels from pineapple leaves to prevent food from rotting.
- 📈 To reduce food loss, it's crucial to use innovative technology for preservation and streamline the supply chain by minimizing intermediaries.
- 🛒 Consumers and businesses can contribute to reducing food waste by buying local, directly from farmers, and supporting businesses that practice efficient supply chain management.
Q & A
What is the main issue addressed in the video script?
-The main issue addressed in the video script is the significant food waste that occurs in the supply chain before food reaches consumers, particularly in Asia.
What percentage of food is reported to be lost after harvest in Asia?
-In Asia, up to 40% of food is reported to be lost after harvest during handling and storage.
What is the potential impact of reducing food waste in India's supply chain?
-Reducing food waste in India's supply chain could potentially provide every family with 5 kg of fruit and vegetable packet free of cost every week.
What is the problem with storing onions and potatoes in the traditional way?
-Onions and potatoes, when stored traditionally, can absorb moisture and spoil quickly, especially in hot and humid conditions, leading to significant waste.
How does the use of solar dehydrators by the social enterprise 'Signs for Society' help reduce food waste?
-Solar dehydrators help reduce food waste by drying produce like onions, turmeric, ginger, and potatoes using solar energy, which extends their shelf life and maintains their nutritional value.
What is the innovative packaging material used by S4S to maintain the freshness and nutrients of their products?
-S4S uses a special type of polymer packaging material that is oxygen and moisture proof, helping to maintain the freshness and nutrients of the dehydrated onions.
What is the role of Tanihab in the supply chain in Indonesia?
-Tanihab plays a role in shortening the supply chain in Indonesia by setting up warehouses that allow goods to go straight from farms to customers, reducing spoilage and improving the freshness of produce.
What is the significance of the processing and packing plant built by Tanihab in Malang city?
-The processing and packing plant in Malang city helps reduce poor handling of fruits by washing, waxing, and sorting them with minimal human touch, which can damage the quality of the produce.
What is the innovative approach taken by scientists at a research institute in Singapore to prevent food from rotting?
-Scientists at a research institute in Singapore are developing an edible food coating made from silk cocoons that is water-resistant and creates a barrier to keep water, oxygen, and microorganisms out, thus preventing food from rotting.
How can the use of pineapple leaves by scientists at the National University of Singapore help in reducing food spoilage?
-Scientists at the National University of Singapore have turned pineapple leaves into a low-cost aerogel that, when mixed with activated carbon, can prevent food from rotting for up to two weeks.
What is the importance of minimizing the number of stages in the supply chain to reduce food loss?
-Minimizing the number of stages in the supply chain reduces the time and distance food travels, which can significantly decrease spoilage and waste, as well as improve the quality of food that reaches consumers.
How can consumers and businesses help in reducing food loss in the supply chain?
-Consumers can help by buying local or directly from farmers, and businesses can support good practices by sourcing directly from farmers or supporting businesses like S4S and Tanihab, which can contribute to a more sustainable food industry.
Outlines
🌍 Global Food Waste in the Supply Chain
This paragraph discusses the significant issue of food waste in the supply chain, particularly focusing on Asia and India. It highlights that up to 40% of food is lost after harvest due to inadequate handling and storage, which means a considerable amount of food never reaches the shops. The script emphasizes the potential for reducing this waste by saving losses, which could provide every family in India with a weekly packet of fruits and vegetables. It raises questions about the causes of this waste and introduces the idea that simple solutions might exist to address the problem.
🌱 Innovative Solutions for Reducing Food Waste
The second paragraph introduces innovative methods to combat food waste. It describes a social enterprise that uses solar energy to dehydrate produce, which extends the shelf life of products like onions, turmeric, ginger, and potatoes. The dehydrated products maintain their nutritional value and can last up to two years. The paragraph also mentions the importance of proper packaging to preserve freshness and nutrients, and how these innovations are being adopted by major customers, including Nestle and Indian Railways, showcasing a successful model for reducing food loss.
🛒 Streamlining the Supply Chain to Reduce Spoilage
This paragraph explores the inefficiencies in traditional supply chains and how they contribute to food spoilage. It presents the story of Tanihab, a company that established warehouses to shorten the supply chain, allowing goods to go directly from farms to customers, thus reducing damage and spoilage. The company also built a processing and packing plant to minimize human handling of fruits, ensuring better quality control. The paragraph highlights the importance of reducing the number of stages in the supply chain to decrease food waste.
🚀 Technological Advances in Food Preservation
The final paragraph delves into technological advancements that have the potential to significantly reduce food loss in the supply chain. It mentions the development of an edible food coating made from silk cocoons that prevents rotting, as well as a low-cost aerogel made from pineapple leaves that, when combined with activated carbon, can extend the life of food. The paragraph also stresses the importance of connecting farmers directly with consumers to match supply with demand, thereby reducing overproduction and waste. It concludes by encouraging consumers and businesses to support practices that minimize food loss and improve the industry.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Supply Chain
💡Food Waste
💡Dehydration
💡Moisture
💡Refrigeration
💡Solar Energy
💡Packaging
💡Storage Facilities
💡Innovative Technology
💡Direct Sourcing
💡Best Practices
Highlights
Food waste in the supply chain is a global issue, with up to 40% of food in Asia lost after harvest due to poor handling and storage.
In India, 30-40% of food waste occurs in the supply chain, potentially providing every family with 5 kg of free fruits and vegetables weekly if saved.
Farmers in India face challenges with erratic weather affecting the quality and preservation of crops like onions.
Lack of proper storage facilities leads to significant produce rotting, highlighting the need for innovative solutions.
S4S, a social enterprise, has developed special dehydrators that use solar energy to extend the shelf life of produce like onions, turmeric, and potatoes.
Dehydrated produce maintains nutrition and quality, with a shelf life extended from one to two years.
S4S's innovative model involves sorting, grading, and packing produce with special polymers to maintain freshness and nutrients.
Dehydrated onions from S4S are used by major clients including Nestle, Indian Railways, and various hotels and restaurants.
Tanihab, founded by Ekkas, aims to shorten the supply chain by establishing warehouses to receive goods directly from farms.
Tanihab's approach reduces damage and spoilage by minimizing the number of handling stages in the supply chain.
Honey Heart built a processing and packing plant to reduce poor handling and improve the quality of fruits.
Scientists in Singapore are developing edible food coatings from silk cocoons to prevent food from rotting.
Another group of scientists created a low-cost aerogel from pineapple leaves mixed with active carbon to extend food preservation.
Innovative technologies have the potential to significantly reduce food loss in regions lacking cold chain facilities.
Tanihab advises farmers on market demands to better match supply with consumer needs, reducing overproduction and waste.
Consumers and businesses can help reduce food waste by buying local and supporting businesses with good practices.
The next episode will explore the 'instant noodle city lifestyle' and its impact on our relationship with food.
Transcripts
for those of us who live in the cities
when we think about where our food comes
from this is probably what comes to mind
but these papayas oranges and mangoes
come from all over the world
but these won't just take overnight and
shipped here
for this fresh produce it's a battle to
make it out of the supply chain in one
piece
if at all in asia up to 40
of food is lost after harvest during
handling and storage
never even making it to the shops at all
if you look at india we have around 30
to 40 percent
of food waste is occurring in the supply
chain
it means that every week every family in
india can be gifted with 5 kg of fruit
and vegetable packet free of cost if we
save these losses
in this episode we ask the questions why
is so much
waste occurring in the supply chain
before food even reaches our plates
onion absorb the moisture the appearance
will be little bit
less than what in dry condition
we witness some farmers are throwing
their crops to the river because
they are being frustrated and can these
folks
actually make a difference in stopping
this waste
the staple in almost any indian dish
tons are grown shipped across the
country and to overseas markets
every day the problem traders face
india's erratic weather
[Music]
is
absorb the moisture so it looks the
appearance will be little bit
less than what in dry condition in
potato if water touches it or it may get
written after two days or three days
tons of produce end up rotting because
farmers don't have the proper storage
facilities
nor are there any during the long route
to the market
nor at the distribution or wholesaler
centres
generally within 24 hours same day we
sell it
keeping in cold storage our store room
is not advisable
because the electricity rates are higher
[Music]
but what if all this could be prevented
right after harvesting
in rural india refrigeration is rare
because electricity is expensive
so how do you stop produce from spoiling
in hot and wet weather
are actually taking out the moisture
from them and because of that
it gives them the extended shelf life
from one year to two years also
signs for society a social enterprise
started by a group of university
friends came up with these special
dehydrators
the real genius of it
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drying with the use of solar energy
such as onions turmeric ginger garlic
and potatoes from farmers
and sends it to be processed in villages
nearby
onion pieces are loaded into a fan dryer
which operates on minimal electricity
[Music]
then the slices are placed in a solar
dehydrator
for four hours
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the key features of this product is it
maintains the nutrition one of the
highest in the globe and it makes the
product
as good as the fresh product
[Music]
the final step
this is our sorting and trading section
here we look out for the any foreign
particle in our material that we have
received from the fields
this s4s processing factory grades
sorts and properly packs the onions
we have a special polymers these are the
special packaging material which allow
maintenance of the
freshness and the nutrients the oxygen
and moisture proof packaging
the onions go out to over 700 customers
including nestle
indian railways hotels and restaurants
all across the country
myself i'm in this restaurant field for
last 23 years
naresh used to have major problems with
the onions he got from the markets
the lower part of the things mostly got
totally rotten so i used to throw it so
the wastage in the raw material was much
more when suarez approached him to try
their dehydrated onions
he wasn't convinced major thing is the
regular eaters here people are eating
for lot fasting for 40 years is coming
regularly if i try something there
in the input obviously he'll come and
tell what has happened today
but when narash served them gravy made
with dried onions
my customers are they never showed any
difference i myself tasted it my chef
tasted everyone said
it's good s4s innovative model of
reducing food loss
could be what the rest of the farming
world needs
in every other state and even every
other third world country
same issues they face because lack of
processing their produce goes
it's a global issue the scale is huge
the potential
for the impact is also huge for now
s4s is looking to grow their business
with mentorship from dbs foundation
this is a wholesale market in indonesia
and all this waste is a consequence of
the traditional supply chain
but why food passes from farmers to
village traders
who then sell to wholesalers who sell to
distributors
who sell to retailers this process can
spend
a few days as well as hundreds of
kilometers
the more layer it will add you one more
day
receiving sorting packing and then
deliver so if
there is a four stop means that
additional four days
more days means more time without proper
cold storage
being passed from hand to hand and
squished together in trucks
guarding very long transportation there
will be
like 15 or 20 percent of damage
they stack all the fruits like this
i'll show you really quickly so you can
imagine how the vegetables at the bottom
of it
how damaged they might be this is why
like every middleman always takes a
quite a big markup because they also
lose a certain amount
it's a fragmented factor and most of the
players are traditional
almost fifty percent of the fresh
produced in indonesia have actually
damaged
ekka's solution why not shorten that
long supply chain
in 2016 he set up tanihab and later
opened five warehouses
in bogor bandung yoktakata surabaya
and bali goods went straight from the
farms to the warehouses
and from there directly to customers
we can transport the goods as soon as
possible the customer can get the
vegetables like
in fresh condition
mostly indonesian fruits are tropical we
store in the temperature of 18 to 22.
there are local foods that cannot be
stored at
those temperatures so we have ambient
temperature as well
25 28. we have also temperature
especially for leafy vegetables around 8
degrees
but there was still one problem fruits
and vegetables were still
coming to the warehouses damaged
[Music]
we are at our main processing center
where we are having our machine
to do the sorting of the fruits
so last year honey heart built a
processing and packing plant in malang
city
close to their fruit farmers that helped
reduce poor handling in human hands
this is from the farm waiting for the
process into our machine
in the sorting machine fruits are washed
the brush unit you can see
dried waxed and sorted with minimal
human touch
your hands sometimes produce sweat right
and it will ruin
the quality of the boots we have two
lines now
it will go through sorting cameras that
can take around 30 pictures of each
fruit
to see the blemish we can separate the
size
this is because of blemish you can see
half blemish this one will go to food
industry and hurricane
our policy is we are buying all grades
we are working closely with fruit stalls
food stalls resellers supermarkets and
big hyper markets
as well as food industries
can buy apple that is not very smooth in
skin
but because they are peeling it and they
are taking the flesh only
but what if there's an even simpler
solution to the problem of food spoilage
this a silk cocoon
[Music]
scientists at a research institute in
singapore are taking caterpillar cocoons
and turning them into an edible food
coating that stops food from rotting
yep water resistant and edible
it makes a barrier it is very thin it is
transparent
and the barrier is very good at keeping
the water in
and the oxygen out and the microorganism
out
it lasts until you wash it away or your
italy
they're not the only ones thinking along
these lines another group of scientists
at the national university of singapore
have turned pineapple leaves into a
low-cost aerogel
that when mixed with active carbon can
prevent food from rotting for two weeks
[Music]
these types of technologies have huge
possibilities for reducing loss in the
food supply chain
so we're thinking that this technology
can have a big impact in the region
where you don't have a cold chain
while it passage from one hand to the
other when exposed to bad weathers
in the meantime the tony hop team has
been encouraging farmers to adopt best
practices
[Music]
we tell them that if you pile this this
is your rejection rate
in the end we'll lower down the value of
your product
but if you for example be fight into two
trips
and all of the goods or the rejection
rate become very low
it means that there is more chance for
them to to sell more
but food spoilage isn't the only problem
in the long supply
chains
farmers have very little to no contact
with consumers which means they don't
know how much to produce to match the
demands of customers
for farmers like mr harianto that meant
sometimes
overproducing
we witnessed some farmers are throwing
their crops to the river because
they are being frustrated they say that
if i do the harvesting
the harvest cost is higher than my
product goods
in helping to reduce food loss we need
to start from the beginning
that's why tanihab is seeking to bridge
that gulf between farmers and customers
by advising farmers on what and how much
the market wants
so that they can better match supply to
demand
before working with us they usually got
only 50
of job in the market because of the
quality and the specs that is not seeing
with what
the market needs here after working with
us
the right of acceptance is going more
than 95
so when it comes to reducing the massive
losses in the food supply chain
two things clearly help using innovative
technology
to prevent food from going bad quickly
and minimizing the number of stages
in the chain and this is where we as
consumers can help
but how start by buying local or where
possible
buy directly from farmers themselves and
if you're a business owner and fmb
you too can play a part try sourcing
directly from farmers
or where possible support businesses
with good practices
like s4s and tiny hub it could go a long
way
in helping to change the industry for
the better
in the next episode i call it the
instant noodle city lifestyle
it's the start of the broken
relationship with food
so we're actually right on top of the
shopping mall
can bringing back farming into our
cities make us appreciate our food
better
[Music]
you
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