Fig. 5: Diagrammatic representation of food loss and waste at various stages of the food supply chain.
From: Assessment and scenario hypothesis of food waste in China based on material flow analysis
The flow paths of the seven food categories in the material flow analysis system, the food supply chain from agricultural production to postharvest handling and storage, processing and packaging, distribution, and resident consumption across five stages. There are feed, seed, and other uses (non-food) uses of food in the handling stage. Food imports occur in the processing and packaging, while, exports occur in the distribution and tourist consumption in the consumption stage. S refers to stock, F refers to flow, W refers to waste, and k refers to the waste rate in a stage.
