AT EACH POINT ALONG THE JOURNEY TO THE CONSUMER FOOD IS LOST. IN FACT, FOURTEEN PERCENT OF THE WORLD’S FOOD IS LOST AFTER A CROP IS HARVESTED AND BEFORE IT REACHES THE CONSUMER.[3]
Once a crop is harvested in the field, it may still be a while before it ends up in your fridge or pantry. Some crops like potatoes and carrots may spend months in storage waiting to be shipped to grocery stores. During that time, things like insects, physical damage, or diseases can result in food that is of a lower quality or can’t be sold for consumption. This is not only wasteful, but can also negatively impact the bottom line of the farmers who grew the food.
Farmers will work to keep their crops as healthy as possible during the growing season so that they have the best chance of making it to market. There are also technologies that they can use to protect their crop once they have been harvested (e.g. post-harvest sprays that protect potatoes from fungi that can cause them to rot in storage)[4]. Health Canada regulates every pesticide in Canada to ensure they can be used safely and will not pose a risk to human health or the environment.