Food Losses in Fruit, Vegetable, and Potato Supply Chains in France

This paper evaluates food losses across the French supply chains of fruits, vegetables, and potatoes using nine representative products. Losses range from 5% to over 20% of field-ready produce, averaging 12% for fruits and vegetables. Three-quarters of losses occur upstream—from harvest to marketing—due to factors such as product sensitivity to sanitary and climatic hazards, perishability, and regulatory or quality standards. The remaining losses occur at the distribution stage, driven by handling fragility and stock mismanagement leading to over-ripening. Discarded products are mainly spread on fields or sent to anaerobic digestion. The paper discusses potential interventions and policy and research support for loss reduction and valorization.