Food Loss and Waste: It is Not All Garbage

Today, 29 September 2021, is the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste.   

What does food waste mean to you? You might be thinking: it is food that has expired or not been eaten and tossed into the trash. While that is true, it runs much deeper than that, especially for us at AGCO as we play a pivotal role in keeping global food supply chains operational. 

Let us start with some numbers:   

• According to the UN Food & Agricultural Organization, an estimated 1.3 billion tons of food, or roughly 30 percent of global production, is lost or wasted annually.   
• In addition, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) identifies up to 133 billion pounds are estimated to be lost annually due to inefficient or inadequate postharvest handling and storage.  

A large percentage of the losses is happening in emerging markets, which leads to under-nourishment, reduced incomes for farmers and the need for more food imports into the countries that can least afford it.         

Reducing food loss and waste is of paramount importance. Solving this problem brings with it broader improvements in our agri-food systems toward achieving food security, food safety, improving food quality and delivering on nutritional outcomes. Reducing food loss and waste is a sustainability issue too. We can lower greenhouse gas emissions as well as pressure on land and water resources.  

“To the outside world, agriculture is simply about growth – of plants, animals, yield and income. We know there is more to the story. It takes diverse variables working together to deliver successful results,” said Stefan Caspari, Senior Vice President & General Manager, AGCO Grain & Protein. “As we reflect on the significance of food loss, and some of the significant numbers involved, we need to consider our role, our mission, the factor our customers seek and the world demands, which can be summed up in one single word: protection.” 

Improving infrastructure, particularly storage systems, will be critical to protecting the global food supply and reducing food waste. AGCO is a global leader in this area and is focused on delivering innovative solutions through GSI storage systems and Cimbria processing systems and turnkey expertise. 

“We’ve partnered with organizations and governments to help them change the future for their customers and citizens. For example, our Cimbria team had the opportunity to have a key role in the world’s largest silo project at the time, adding almost 1.4 million tons of modern storage in Egypt,” said Stefan.   

“We’re also innovating to provide even higher levels of protection. We’ve recently introduced the GSI EVO-50 grain bin, which reduces the number of seams, uses few bolts and is better sealed to make sure outside elements stay out. In addition, we are developing first-of-its kind GSI GrainViz technology to monitor and manage stored grain and ensure optimal conditions,” he added. 

“Protection is important to our customers and their bottom line. But it also gives us purpose, because our team is playing a role in the transformative power of global agriculture, a force that changes communities and sustains humanity. Rising demand for food is a real concern, and our brands will meet the challenge with refined seed, preserved crops and healthy sources of protein,” Stefan concluded.   

To find out more, visit www.agcocorp.com.