Quantifying food loss and waste in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Using the FAO model calculations proposed by Gustavsson et al. (2013) and FAO (2014), food loss and waste (FLW) is measured in Saudi Arabia with a special focus on wheat, rice, dates, poultry, vegetables, fruits, fish, and meat. Results show that the overall FLW rate is 33.1%, where the food loss rate is 14.2%, and the food waste rate is 18.9%. Acceding to the disaggregated results, we find that FLW rates are distributed as follows: 29.7% for wheat, 33.6% for rice, 21.4%, for dates 29.1% for poultry, 39.5% for vegetables, 39.6% for fruits, 33% for fish, and 31.3% for meat. The Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 12.3) target is to reduce the rates of food loss and waste by 50% in 2030, and to help achieve that goal, we employed a nonlinear optimisation simulation model with the objective function of reducing FLW by 50% over the period 2020–2030. Based on the findings achieved, recommendations are made to cover the various aspects of the whole food supply chain (FSC) and to aim at more efficiency and higher levels of productivity. Our findings have significant implications by estimating the FLW baseline indicator and providing the different stakeholders of FSC with the optimal actions to do to reduce FLW rates.