Food losses and waste in the French oilcrops sector

Abstract

INRA has initiated a comprehensive approach to food loss and waste for all the plant and animal sectors, from field to distribution. In this study, all comestibles that leave the human food chain and are not recycled into animal feed are considered as losses and waste. The main French oilseed sectors are studied (rapeseed, sunflower and soya, as well as tofu). In order to identify the key sources of loss, all of the various steps in the process of the oleaginous production chain are described, from harvesting through to distribution, including storage, transport, crushing, refining and packaging. For tofu, the study also examines the chain from harvest through to distribution, including as soy milk and tofu paste. Published data are lacking; they were therefore primarily collected directly from professionals in the sectors concerned. Although oilseeds and vegetable oils are apt to have a relatively long shelf-life compared to other products, losses of vegetable oil from field to distribution are substantial (approximately 71.4 kT, equivalent to 10% of the amount consumed in France). We establish that the principal steps giving rise to losses are harvesting and refining. Total losses in French rapeseed oil, sunflower and soybean were estimated at 9.8%, 7.0% and 6.0% of their respective total potential production, worth approximately 50.6, 14.3 and 6.5 e million and equivalent to the annual consumption of approximately 3 030 000, 855 000 and 390 000 people. In the case of tofu, harvest is the most important area of loss. Total losses of tofu are equivalent to 8.2% of potential production. We discuss potential measures to improve the efficiency of the individual steps of French oilseed production.