Fresh fruit wastage remains a major issue in global food supply chains, with avocados experiencing notable growth in export volumes. A study published in the Agriculture and Human Values journal examines the social dynamics contributing to food waste within Tanzania's avocado trade. The research team, including Dr. Megan Blake from the University of Sheffield and Dr. Jonas Cromwell, formerly of the same institution, alongside Professor Claire Quinn and Dr. Stephen Whitfield from the University of Leeds, conducted the study from 2018 to 2021 across various Tanzanian regions, aligning with the main avocado harvesting seasons.
The researchers employed the 'follow the thing' methodology, tracing avocados from farms through domestic and export supply chains to understand the socio-economic and environmental factors influencing waste. The study revealed that power imbalances within the supply chain lead to disparate risk and cost distribution, with farmers often bearing the brunt.
In the domestic supply chain, farmers face exploitation due to the perishability of avocados, which ripen within 3-5 days post-harvest. This perishability is leveraged by those higher in the chain to reject produce and force sales at low prices. Disagreements over pricing can result in increased handling, causing further damage and waste. In rural-urban wholesale markets, buyers exploit this perishability to frequently alter prices, exacerbating the issue.
Power imbalances also affect brokers, who face economic losses and time constraints if unable to sell to wholesalers, leading them to sell in smaller quantities at local markets with lower demand. In regional markets, agents use credit systems to shift risks to wholesalers, exploiting situations like over-ripening and bad weather.
Brokers and wholesalers contribute to losses by overpacking avocados in sack bags to cut transportation and storage costs, leading to bruising and mechanical damage. While export markets can empower farmers through fair trade protections, compliance with food quality regulations often imposes additional costs and risks on farmers, who must adhere to Global Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) or retailer standards.
Dr. Megan Blake noted, "This research demonstrates that food waste is not always something that just happens accidentally. It is intimately linked to how we design our food systems and what (and who) we value. It also is a physical by-product of inequalities."
Source: UoS
