Tenth International Conference on Food Studies

Abstract

Achieving food security is an important goal set forward by SDG 12.3.1. The current study focuses on the causes and manner in which food loss and waste is experienced in different stages of the food supply chain so that regulations and policies can be developed to ameliorate the situation in favor of gaining food security in Bangladesh. Whilst food loss and waste in developed countries is experienced mostly in the consumption sector, in the case of developing countries, the majority of waste is experienced in post-harvest stages. The current study will look into the production and post-harvest stage in order to determine the causes of food loss and waste. Primary data will be collected from interview questionnaires. The questions were based on the contextual factors of awareness and attitude towards food loss and waste. These were directed mainly towards producers, retailers, and consumers. The findings suggest that when it comes to food security, people in Bangladesh are mostly unaware of the global crisis. Food loss and waste at household level is predominantly caused by the disposal of edible parts of organic food due to lack of knowledge. In the case of retailers, much of the food waste is attributed to poor storage and inefficient stockpiling. The producers experience a large amount of food loss owing to the traditional means through which cultivation takes place. Finally in absence of any regulation for food loss and waste, it is warranted to pass new legislation, and to establish other regulatory mechanisms.