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Tata-Cornell Institute for Agriculture and Nutrition

Tag: food loss

Crates of tomatoes

The Tomato Lottery: Farmer Decision-Making and Food Loss Implications

On a brilliantly sunny day in June in Andhra Pradesh’s Chittoor district, red-ripe tomatoes shine like ornaments in a field of green. Seemingly absent is anyone harvesting these fruits that are just waiting to be plucked, sold, and consumed. Left…
A man selling tomatoes

Quality or quantity? Defining food loss and waste along the fruit and vegetable value chain

The FAO estimates that “one-third of food produced for human consumption is lost or wasted globally” (FAO, 2011). As I went about my summer exploratory work on food loss in India, I spent time reflecting on how ‘food loss and…

Interacting with value chain actors: What to do when your research subjects have work to do

Levels of food loss are product and value chain specific. An important first step in determining methods and metrics to evaluate food loss of perishables was to identify the product (or products) and map the value chains. The objective of…
bins of tomatos

Blistering in the Sun: Climate Change Worsens Food Loss for India’s Tomato Farmers

In this blog post, TCI scholar Jocelyn Boiteau details how rising temperatures and unreliable rainfalls are contributing to food loss among India’s tomato farmers. Standing in a lush, green field of tomato plants surrounded by swaying trees and rocky hills,…
damaged tomatoes

Tomato Trouble: Estimating and Understanding Food Loss in Vegetable Supply Chains

This piece from the TCI 2019-20 Annual Report presents TCI scholar Jocelyn Boiteau’s study of quality and quantity food loss in tomato supply chains in India. Download the full annual report to read more. The loss of fruit and vegetables—damaged…
Man holding a crate of tomatoes

Balancing Act: Trade-Offs Between Food Loss Reduction and Tomato Labor Drudgery

In this blog post, TCI scholar Jocelyn Boiteau explores how the plastic crates used to protect tomatoes at the market carry occupational risks for laborers.  In Andhra Pradesh’s bustling Madanapalle tomato market, where tomatoes are auctioned in bulk, the buzz…
tomatoes

What Makes a Good Tomato? Unpacking Tomato Quality Attributes in South India

In this blog post, TCI Scholar Jocelyn Boiteau explores the various attributes different supply chain actors used to judge the quality of tomatoes. Walking into a daily vegetable market in Madanapalle, Andhra Pradesh, tomato vendors sit next to neatly organized…

TCI Scholar Presents Food Loss Research at ANH Academy Week

TCI scholar Jocelyn Boiteau presented her research on food loss in Indian tomato supply chains during the Agriculture, Nutrition, and Health Academy Week 2020, held virtually from June 30-July 2. Academy Week brings together the community of researchers, practitioners, and…