The environmental impacts of food production are significant and food waste and losses ever emphasize these impacts. Food waste and losses along the food chain have been studied previously in Finland but the waste figures have not included food waste and losses of primary production. In this study the focus was to complement the earlier studies and to assess the amount of residues as well as the quality and causes of the residues in primary production and food processing. The study included the whole food flow that was originally produced for human consumption. The part of the food flow that did not end up for human consumption (or food processing) was “residue”. Furthermore, “edible residue”, that was produced for human consumption and was still suitable for human consumption when removed from the food supply chain to be recovered or disposed, was defined here as “food waste/- loss”. Overall, due to the new data from this project it was possible, for the first time, to estimate the amount of food waste in primary production, and therefore, to represent the estimate for the total food waste amount in the Finnish food chain. Additionally, it was important to estimate food waste in primary production and to include the estimate to the total food waste estimate of the whole food chain in order to enable cross-cutting food waste/- loss assessments and comprehensive improvements along the Finnish food chain. A number of case-products (iceberg lettuce, strawberry, wheat, potato, beef, pork and milk) were studied in primary production and processing to estimate food waste and losses. The data was collected directly from the actors as well as from publicly available statistics to estimate residues and food waste/- losses for each case-product. The study system boundaries included for plant products the harvest ready crop and for animal products the born animal or the milk drawn from the cow. To estimate the total amount of food waste in primary production and processing the data from the case-products was complemented with data from statistics and literature. Furthermore, to derive the estimate of food waste/- losses of the whole Finnish food chain the data from previous project regarding food waste/- losses in retail, catering sector and households were used. Additionally, the previous estimate of food waste/- losses in food processing was updated using the data from this project.
In this study it was estimated that the amount of residues produced in primary production are around 7 % of the whole food production and the edible residue, thus food waste/- loss, is around 2 % of the total food production. This food waste corresponds up to around 100 million kilos of food in a year. Additionally, the updated estimate of food waste in processing was estimated to be 75-105 million kilos (earlier estimate: 75-140 million kilos). When these estimates were added to the earlier food waste -value estimates for the rest of the food chain, it was estimated that food waste in the Finnish food chain is around 425-535 million kilos in a year (earlier estimate that excluded primary production was 335-460 million kilos). Hence, the food waste of Finnish food chain corresponds up to 80-100 kilos of food wasted per person per year. Whilst the study presented here is seen as a good first estimate on food waste/- losses in primary production, there is need for further studies. The estimates on food residues and food waste/- loss represented here should be complemented and fine-tuned, for instance, by broadening the scope to new case-products. There is especially need to study further the residues and food waste/- losses in animal production. Additionally, the methodological definitions should be studied critically, such as, the fine line between food waste/- losses and quality requirements or market demand of raw material and food products. For instance, wheat bran is a side product of wheat processing and could be used for human consumption, but most of it is not used for human consumption. However, in this project the wheat bran was not considered as food waste/- loss since there is not much market demand for the bran. The causes for residues and food waste/- losses in primary production vary. In this project the four main reasons were identified: 1) weather conditions, pests and plant-/animal diseases, 2) quality requirements and production regulations, 3) obstructed marketing channels and distance from markets, and 4) profitability of production. The profitability of production is often linked to the first three causes for residues. Among the chosen case-products the biggest reasons for residues were natural conditions, pests and plant-/animal diseases, but also unprofitability and overproduction led to residues. Additionally, in potato and wheat production especially the quality requirements set by the industry and retail led to residues. A majority of the residues of iceberg lettuce and strawberry production were left in field. The residue of potato production was redirected to various uses: to animal feed, starch production or other uses. Also part of the potato crop was left in field. Nearly the entire residue of wheat production ended up as feed. The residues of beef and pork production were the animals died or put down at the farm and whose meat was not further used for human consumption. The main causes for cow death/put down were e.g. metabolic diseases and complications during calving, and for pig death/put down the piglet mortality. In milk production the main reason for milk residue was antibiotic residues in milk due to antibiotic treatments of the cow. To make sure that products meet the quality requirements they need to be of good quality. In plant production preventative practices play a major role. For instance, optimal cultivation practices largely ensure that the crop meets the quality requirements. A good quality crop also lasts better in stock. To reduce and prevent residues and food waste/- losses the focus has to be also on product marketing and commercializing, identifying and establishing new marketing channels, making production contracts and innovating new products. In animal production the preventative measures, and especially taking care of animal wellbeing is important. Overall, the present study revealed several good measures to prevent, reduce, and utilize residues and food waste/- losses. To conclude, this project represents a new way of defining and evaluating food waste/- loss in the upstream of the food chain. Previous data on residues and food waste/- losses in primary production were limited. The main problem is that no national or international data on edible residues in primary production was found. Therefore, the estimates on edible residues, assessed in this project, are new information in the field of food waste/- loss research. When comparing the food waste and loss results one should study carefully the chosen definitions and methodologies (like research methods) of the reviewed studies, since the definitions and methodologies can differ, and consequently, have a vast impact on the final results.