Reducing post-harvest loss and waste along the rice supply chain and consumption

Abstract

The land and water resources for rice production have declined due to climate change events, causing supply disruptions. From 2000 to 2019, cereal crop losses, including rice, comprised 13.4% of the domestic supply. Enhancing agricultural efficiency requires efforts to reduce rice loss and waste. This research aimed to analyse rice consumption patterns, estimate rice loss and waste, and formulate policy recommendations. Data from different institutions were descriptively analysed. The main findings are as follows: 1) with a consumption participation rate of 98.7% and an expenditure share of 95.5% of all cereals, rice is a staple food for Indonesians; 2) rice supply chain losses range from 12.7% to 20.1%, with harvesting losing the most at 7–10%; 3) household waste reaches 2.7–3.2 kg/capita/year; 4) a total of 10 million tons of dry unhusked grain (GKG) or 2 million hectares of harvested rice are lost and wasted. Farmers, traders, consumers, the government, and the private sector must share responsibility for addressing rice loss and waste. Encouraging post-harvest technologies, such as the usage of combine harvesters, as well as enforcing rules and fostering mentality shifts, are essential tasks. Consumers can prevent food waste by calculating the amount of rice they need to cook.