Conference on Environmental Science and Technology

Tomato cultivation is one of the major crop production systems practiced across the globe with an estimated production volume of around 187 million tons in 2022. The versatility of the product and the development of techniques and technological advancements for producing it year-round led to improvements and the use of various crop production systems (greenhouse, hydroponics, open field cultivation, etc.), and the development of varieties destined for different uses (industrial, table, paste, etc.). Nonetheless, losses at the production and post-harvest stages are a significant global challenge that impacts food security, the environment, and economic development. This study examines the effectiveness of different methodologies for quantifying post-harvest food loss in tomato cultivation with an emphasis on the field methods that are relevant to Cyprus’s agricultural situation. Field testing and validation are conducted, combined with a multi-criteria analysis that evaluates the accuracy, replicability, scalability, adaptability to local conditions, required expertise, time, and cost-efficiency of each method. While the study centers on Cyprus as a case study, the findings are applicable to similar agricultural settings in other regions facing comparable challenges. The research evaluates both direct and indirect quantification methods, combining interviews with farmers, and middlemen to estimate price and volume changes, as well as mass flow approaches to determine the most appropriate ways of estimating FL at various levels of the production chain. Furthermore, the main causes of FL such as environmental conditions, pest and disease attacks, and handling practices, across different tomato farms are identified. The findings are meant to give strategic options for minimizing the FL in tomato farming, and provide recommendations on how to improve the quantification approaches and the practices That can be useful in enhancing the efficiency of the resources used in agriculture, supporting the efforts towards improvement of sustainable agricultural practices.