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Opportunities and Challenges in Conducting Economic Research on Food Loss and Waste

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  • Brenna Ellison
  • Mary K Muth
  • Elise Golan

Abstract

Food loss and waste (FLW) issues are receiving heightened attention from local, national, and international governments and nongovernmental organizations. While research in the FLW space is growing rapidly, economists have important contributions to make to the FLW conversation. In this paper we discuss the opportunities and challenges in conducting economic research on FLW. We highlight some of the more technical opportunities and challenges related to data, measurement, and evaluation of FLW reduction initiatives as these are often focal points in the current FLW literature. In addition, we discuss the notion of optimal FLW, which has been mostly absent from the policy discussion to date. Economic analyses can help contribute towards identifying market failures that support the need for FLW interventions, estimating the costs and benefits of FLW interventions, and clearly identifying the winners and losers of potential mandatory requirements to reduce FLW.

Suggested Citation

  • Brenna Ellison & Mary K Muth & Elise Golan, 2019. "Opportunities and Challenges in Conducting Economic Research on Food Loss and Waste," Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 41(1), pages 1-19, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:apecpp:v:41:y:2019:i:1:p:1-19
    DOI: 10.1093/aepp/ppy035
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    Cited by:

    1. Brenna Ellison, 2020. "Food Loss and Food Waste: Causes and Solutions by Michael Blakeney," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 102(3), pages 1047-1049, May.
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    3. Brenna Ellison & Linlin Fan & Norbert L.W. Wilson, 2022. "Is it more convenient to waste? Trade‐offs between grocery shopping and waste behaviors," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 53(S1), pages 75-89, November.
    4. Robert Lee Cavazos & Keelyn Taylor & R. Brandon Eary & Scott Doty, 2022. "Institutional and Individual Effects of Greenwashing on Food Waste," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(1), pages 1-22, December.
    5. Cattaneo, Andrea & Sánchez, Marco V. & Torero, Máximo & Vos, Rob, 2021. "Reducing food loss and waste: Five challenges for policy and research," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 98(C).
    6. Ellison, Brenna, 2021. "Framing Food Loss – Why It Matters," farmdoc daily, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics, vol. 11(98), June.
    7. Jian Li & Wuyang Hu & Ping Qing & Jean‐Paul Chavas, 2024. "On household food stock and waste under risk," Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics/Revue canadienne d'agroeconomie, Canadian Agricultural Economics Society/Societe canadienne d'agroeconomie, vol. 72(1), pages 23-44, March.
    8. Qi, Danyi & Lai, Wangyang & Roe, Brian E., 2021. "Food waste declined more in rural Chinese households with livestock," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 98(C).
    9. Shaikh, M. Abdullah & Hadjikakou, Michalis & Geyik, Ozge & Bryan, Brett A., 2024. "Assessing global agri-food system exceedance of national cropland limits for linking responsible consumption and production under SDG 12," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 215(C).
    10. Noelia S. Bedoya-Perales & Glenio Piran Dal’ Magro, 2021. "Quantification of Food Losses and Waste in Peru: A Mass Flow Analysis along the Food Supply Chain," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(5), pages 1-15, March.
    11. Jayson L. Lusk & Brenna Ellison, 2020. "Economics of household food waste," Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics/Revue canadienne d'agroeconomie, Canadian Agricultural Economics Society/Societe canadienne d'agroeconomie, vol. 68(4), pages 379-386, December.
    12. Li Jia & Guanghua Qiao, 2022. "Quantification, Environmental Impact, and Behavior Management: A Bibliometric Analysis and Review of Global Food Waste Research Based on CiteSpace," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(18), pages 1-24, September.
    13. Travis A. Smith & Craig E. Landry, 2021. "Household Food Waste and Inefficiencies in Food Production," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 103(1), pages 4-21, January.

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