ABSTRACT

Conventional definitions of food loss and food waste consider that the phenomenon can be measured with mass or monetary units. However, the problem is that it is not easy to establish what a discarded foodstuff is. Furthermore, these definitions do not incorporate in their analyses the loss of productive resources. From political ecology and agroecology, other alternative definitions consider that the calculation should be done in terms of energy. This would allow us to include the loss of productive resources in the phenomenon. However, since the counting tools generated by the agrarian economy reduce any economic activity to mass or monetary units, these alternative definitions face a problem of quantification to a greater extent. Consequently, there is currently an open debate about what constitutes food loss; a debate that is not reaching any helpful outcome. In light of these limitations, a qualitative approach to the phenomenon can be more practical. Based on our analysis of food loss in the context of fruit production in Lleida (Catalonia, Spain) we argue that to understand the phenomenon it is more effective to analyze how food loss is produced rather than to try to quantify it.

摘要

食物损失和食物浪费的传统定义认为这种现象可以用质量或货币单位来衡量。然而，问题在于确定什么是废弃食品并不容易。此外，这些定义并未在分析中纳入生产资源的损失。从政治生态学和农业生态学来看，其他替代定义认为应该根据能源进行计算。这将使我们能够将生产资源的损失包括在这一现象中。然而，由于农业经济产生的计数工具将任何经济活动减少为质量或货币单位，这些替代定义在更大程度上面临量化问题。因此，目前关于什么构成粮食损失存在公开辩论；一场没有取得任何有益结果的辩论。鉴于这些限制，对该现象的定性方法可能更实用。根据我们对莱里达（西班牙加泰罗尼亚）水果生产背景下的粮食损失的分析，我们认为要了解这一现象，分析粮食损失是如何产生的比试图量化它更有效。