The Global Farm Loss Tool provides actionable insights for growers and buyers to map their current loss levels and develop new channels to utilise more of what is grown
World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has launched the Global Farm Loss Tool for growers of all sizes to more easily measure and report on-farm food loss. Developed by WWF and tested with members of The Consumer Goods Forum’s (CGF) Food Waste Coalition and their growers, the tool provides a user-friendly and simplified approach to help farmers and their buyers identify and address the cause of their on-farm food loss and its associated impacts, such as scope 3 emissions.
The tool targets the reduction of food loss at one of the most critical points of the global supply chain: on farms. Research from WWF and Tesco shows that as much as 1.2 billion tonnes, around 15 per cent of all food produced, is lost on farms during, around and after harvest worldwide annually. Adding to the challenge, growers and buyers have limited data on the volume of unharvested products to know how much of what’s being left behind is marketable, non-marketable, or spoiled.
The Global Farm Loss Tool provides actionable insights for growers and buyers to map their current loss levels and develop new channels to utilise more of what is grown. The tool can be used to estimate how much surplus (grown to the point of maturity) was left behind in-field post-harvest and at further stages across a farm’s operations (such as processing and packhouse). This first public iteration of the tool can be used for all crops, but especially fruits, vegetables and tree nuts.
The CGF supported the beta testing of the Global Farm Loss Tool through its Food Waste Coalition, which brings together 18 of the world’s largest food brands, retailers and manufacturers. The Coalition aims to halve global food loss and waste by 2030, helping to meet the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 12.3. Working with Coalition members, the CGF and WWF will continue to assess the impact of the new tool, reviewing how to improve the tool’s user experience, expand its utility in the field and for more food types across the global supply chain, and promote its usage to new growers and suppliers.
The tool is now available free of charge to growers and farmers worldwide at GlobalFarmLossTool.org.
