A socio-economic investigation of pre-harvest and post-harvest crop loss between producers and retailers in Fenland

This paper presents the results of an investigation which identified causes of both pre- and post-harvest crop losses and retail-induced crop losses within Fenland, Cambridgeshire. This study used semi-structured face-to-face interviews with local fruit and vegetable producers. Constructivist grounded theory was utilised for data analysis which revealed aspects not previously identified within academic literature. The causes of crop loss are heavily influenced by external forces situated near the consumer-end of the food supply chain in addition to natural factors, such as weather events, were identified to form a small percentage of loss. While crop loss cannot be totally mitigated; producers appear to use a plethora of strategies including the use of technology to minimise these losses. Producers were found to be directly affected by the high demands of retailers and consumers, however, the significance was found to be dependent on the scale of production and the crop grown. This study establishes the need for new future policies to ensure equality for producers in the UK fresh food supply chain, in addition to the promotion of sustainable food production.