The latest edition of the Agrospecial e-magazine titled ‘Combating food loss worldwide: from challenges to opportunities’ highlights how combating food loss builds more sustainable, efficient, and resilient agrifood systems. The Netherlands Agricultural Network (LAN) representing the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature abroad, brings together global insights and practical solutions on how combating food loss can strengthen food security, improve supply chains, and reduce environmental impact.
Food loss occurs throughout the supply chain, from harvest to storage, transport, and processing. Globally, around 13.2% of food is lost before it reaches retail. This not only represents lost income and reduced food availability, but also a significant waste of natural resources and avoidable greenhouse gas emissions. As highlighted in this Agrospecial, food loss is not just a technical issue, but a systemic challenge linked to climate, biodiversity, food security, and economic value.
Insights from LAN teams worldwide
This edition presents contributions from the Netherlands Agricultural Network (LAN), who play a key role in addressing food loss globally. Agricultural counselors and their teams share insights into the scale and causes of food loss in their regions, as well as concrete innovative solutions and opportunities for collaboration.
The e-magazine highlights initiatives from Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. Across these regions, the underlying challenges differ from limited storage and cold-chain infrastructure to market requirements, climate variability, and supply chain inefficiencies. At the same time, the Agrospecial includes perspectives from international organizations such as FAO and OECD, as well as from branch and non-profit organizations, and knowledge institutions. Across all of these perspectives, one message stands out: the need for integrated, locally adapted solutions. These cases show how combining local knowledge with Dutch expertise can reduce losses and improve value creation across the chain.
The Dutch approach
The Agrospecial also features perspectives from the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature. The Netherlands increasingly approaches food loss as a systemic issue that requires action across the entire value chain. This includes improving data and monitoring, developing shared definitions, and aligning incentives between actors. Technological solutions alone are not sufficient; without coordination, clear market incentives, and institutional alignment, these solutions often fail to scale.
In recent years, the focus of Dutch policy has expanded from food waste at the consumer level to include food losses in primary production, where interventions can have the greatest impact. At the same time, innovation plays a key role, ranging from improved storage and agrologistics to the valorization of residual streams into new products.
Call for international collaboration
Reducing food loss requires coordinated action across countries and sectors. Through international partnerships, research, and innovation, the Netherlands works with governments, businesses, and knowledge institutions worldwide to develop scalable solutions. The LAN plays a crucial role in connecting local needs with Dutch expertise and in identifying opportunities for collaboration.
This Agrospecial invites stakeholders to explore new partnerships, exchange knowledge, and contribute to more resilient and sustainable agrifood systems. Addressing food loss is not a standalone objective, but a key lever for achieving broader goals related to climate, biodiversity, and global food security.
You can find the latest edition of Agrospecial ‘Combating food loss worldwide: from challenges to opportunities’ here.