Preliminary Study on Food Loss Analysis in the Apple Value Chain: The Case of Kesrwan-Mount Lebanon

Abstract

Studies are done on different crops worldwide to gather data allowing on one hand policy makers to implement food loss reduction strategies, and on the other hand researchers to calculate and monitor the food loss. This article identifies and quantifies the losses in the Lebanese apples at the cold storage level in Kesrwan-Mount Lebanon and recognises the main causes of those losses. A preliminary diagnosis based on key informant interviews was followed by assessing a sample of 29 Metric Tons (MT) of apples handled by 14 traders in three cold storage facilities. The sorted apples were assessed for the type of damage and its causes. The graded apples as assessed by traders were measured. A survey was also conducted with farmers, traders, and managers of cold storage facilities. The results identified the actors, the postharvest practices, three distinct postharvest systems and cost-profit values based on the usage of cold storage and the different marketing channels. Results showed that 5% of the stored apples were lost, only grade 1 (41%) and grade 2 (26%) could get a good price while the rest (28%) could hardly cover the cost of production. Hence, improving the production and postharvest systems would lead to higher quantities of good quality apples and meet high-end markets.