SCOTTISH FARMERS are being asked to record fruit and vegetable losses as part of an attempt to measure and reduce food waste.

Recent research by Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) has highlighted that many farmers don’t see food waste as a problem and therefore have difficulty estimating loss.

In Scotland, levels of waste are estimated to be between 20 to 50% for vegetables and 1 to 15% for soft fruit, with pests and disease, weather, supply and demand and cosmetic specifications among the main reasons for food going to waste. In many cases, food can be discarded due to not measuring up to a set standard or making a specific weight.

Scottish farmers are being encouraged to work closely with retailers to accurately record how much food goes to waste and help ensure that more fruit and vegetables make their way along the supply chain. Food waste is seen as one of the major global challenges to achieving a sustainable future, with the Scottish Government aiming to cut food waste in the country by a third by 2025.

Following research funded by the Scottish Government, SRUC says an official recording of statistics and agreed definitions of what constitutes food waste would help future initiatives.

Farmers interviewed as part of the study cited the limited number of processing facilities in Scotland as a contributing factor and, although many expressed an interest in using anaerobic digestion as a way of extracting value from waste, having a consistent supply and the right mix of matter for digestion were seen as barriers.

Luiza Toma of SRUC said: “Addressing farmers’ concerns about food loss causes could provide a positive change to ensure that more food from Scottish fruit and vegetable farms makes its way along the food supply chain as intended – from ‘farm to fork’ – without being wasted,” stated Ms Toma.