Ali Abdelrahman, Tan Yanwen, Yang Shilong, Xia Chunping, Long Wenjun
School of Economics and Management, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China.
Agricultural Economics Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Fayoum University, Fayoum 63514, Egypt.
Foods. 2025 Jul 2;14(13):2351. doi: 10.3390/foods14132351.
Improper stakeholder practices are considered a primary driver of food loss. This study aims to investigate the consequences of pre- and post-harvest practices on extending the shelf life of agro-food products, identifying which practices yield the highest marginal returns for quality. Using Fractional Regression Models (FRM) and Ordinary Least Squares (OLS), the research analyzed data from 343 Egyptian grape farmers and intermediaries. Key findings at the farmer level include significant food loss reductions through drip irrigation (13.9%), avoiding maturity-accelerating chemicals (24%), increased farmer-cultivated area (6.1%), early morning harvesting (8.7%), and improved packing (13.7%), but delayed harvesting increased losses (21.6%). For intermediaries, longer distances to market increased losses by 0.15%, while using proper storage, marketing in the formal markets, and using an appropriate transportation mode reduced losses by 65.9%, 13.8%, and 7.9%, respectively. Furthermore, the interaction between these practices significantly reduced the share of losses. The study emphasizes the need for increased public-private partnerships in agro-food logistics and improved knowledge dissemination through agricultural extension services and agri-cooperatives to achieve sustainable food production and consumption. This framework ensures robust, policy-actionable insights into how stakeholders' behaviors influence postharvest losses (PHL). The findings can inform policymakers and agribusiness managers in designing cost-efficient strategies for reducing PHL and promoting sustainable food systems.
不当的利益相关者行为被认为是粮食损失的主要驱动因素。本研究旨在调查收获前和收获后措施对延长农产品保质期的影响，确定哪些措施能产生最高的质量边际回报。该研究使用分数回归模型（FRM）和普通最小二乘法（OLS），分析了来自343名埃及葡萄种植户和中间商的数据。在农户层面的主要发现包括：通过滴灌显著减少粮食损失（13.9%）、避免使用催熟化学品（24%）、增加农户种植面积（6.1%）、清晨收获（8.7%）以及改善包装（13.7%），但延迟收获会增加损失（21.6%）。对于中间商而言，到市场的距离更远会使损失增加0.15%，而采用适当的储存方式、在正规市场销售以及使用合适的运输方式分别可减少65.9%、13.8%和7.9%的损失。此外，这些措施之间的相互作用显著降低了损失比例。该研究强调，需要加强农产品物流领域的公私伙伴关系，并通过农业推广服务和农业合作社改善知识传播，以实现可持续的粮食生产和消费。这一框架确保了对利益相关者行为如何影响收获后损失（PHL）有可靠且可用于政策制定的见解。研究结果可为政策制定者和农业综合企业管理者设计具有成本效益的战略以减少收获后损失和促进可持续粮食系统提供参考。
