A recent study highlights how supply chain power imbalances contribute to food waste in Tanzania’s avocado trade, impacting farmers and market efficiency. Published in the Agriculture and Human Values journal, the research examines the socio-economic factors influencing avocado losses from farms to both domestic and export markets.
Conducted between 2018 and 2021, the study involved researchers from the University of Sheffield and the University of Leeds. Using the “follow the thing” methodology, the team traced avocados through various stages of the supply chain to identify key challenges affecting waste and distribution.
The findings indicate that small-scale farmers often bear the financial burden of supply chain inefficiencies. In domestic markets, the highly perishable nature of avocados—ripening within 3-5 days post-harvest—allows buyers to reject produce or push prices lower, leading to increased waste. Additionally, price fluctuations in rural-urban wholesale markets further disrupt sales, while brokers, facing financial risks, sometimes resort to selling in smaller quantities at local markets with lower demand.
Packaging and transportation practices also contribute to losses. Brokers and wholesalers frequently overpack avocados in sack bags to reduce costs, which leads to bruising and mechanical damage. In export markets, while fair trade protections can provide some benefits to farmers, strict compliance with food quality standards such as Global Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) often places additional financial and logistical challenges on producers.
Dr. Megan Blake, one of the study’s researchers, emphasized that food waste is often linked to systemic supply chain design and economic structures. “This research demonstrates that food waste is not always something that just happens accidentally. It is intimately linked to how we design our food systems and what (and who) we value,” she stated.
Get comprehensive supply chain report news updates at The Supply Chain Report. For international trade tools, see ADAMftd.com.
#SupplyChainNews #FoodWaste #AgricultureTrends #AvocadoTrade #MarketDynamics
