Future applicability of effective “Drivers for Change” to reduce postharvest food losses

The F&BKP Office has, with the Postharvest Network, contracted the Food & Biobased Research institute of Wageningen UR to conduct a study on “Drivers for Change” that focus on reducing postharvest food losses and improving food value chains. “Drivers for Change” in this context refers to different tools influenced by for example goals, initiators, regions, cultures, available resources that are used to overcome chain efficiency barriers and realize change.

The study will identify and analyze various projects and initiatives that consider the reduction of food losses and subsequent improvements of economic growth and food security. The focus will be on inspiring cases that highlight how food losses can be reduced in complex food supply systems, with a special focus on the triple bottom line of social, ecological and economic, and food security aspects in particular. The cases will include a mix of projects from low and middle-income countries. As effects of any implementation might lose their significance elsewhere in the value chain, the challenge within this project will be to find effects of drivers for change on value chain level (not on a part of it solely).

Based on the selection of cases, the future applicability of “Drivers for Change” will be reviewed concerning the improvement of worldwide value chains and the challenges related to reduced food losses, economic growth and food security.

The study results are expected April 2016 and will serve as input for a brochure that will summarize the key findings of this study developed by the F&BKP Office.

The assignment will be executed by Auke Schripsema (Wageningen UR Food & Biobased Research), Françoise van den Broek (Postharvest Network), Paul Bartels (Wageningen UR Food & Biobased Research) and Lucas Judge MSc (LEI Wageningen UR).

For further information and questions, please contact Vanessa Nigten at