Important research released in recent years has highlighted numerous effects of crops being lost along the supply chain, money is lost, food supplies are lessened, and agricultural inputs such as water, energy, and labor are wasted. Yet, this partnership challenges us to zoom out to see an even bigger picture. As postharvest losses disrupt social, economic, and environmental well-being, they act as assailants on a system where the price of bread can contribute to the overthrow of governments. The global food supply chain, actually a complex compilation of diverse chains, is an increasingly vulnerable provider of food and other goods.
By Kari A. Wozniak