Adopting Circular Economy Paradigm to Waste Prevention: Investigating Waste Drivers in Vegetable Supply Chains.

Waste is a main issue in vegetable supply chains. Many studies focus on food loss in the context of waste, however, neglecting the losses due to farm inputs, handling & inter-relational inefficiencies, and suboptimal resource (labour, time, etc.) & energy consumption. This study aims to address the issue of waste in vegetable supply chains by focusing on the logistics aspect of the supply chain. The study employs the Delphi Technique and Interpretive Structural Modeling to identify and rank the main waste drivers and sub-drivers. The results reveal that the Collaboration Gap, Coordination Issues, Communication Gap, Unavailability of Cold Storages, and Unavailability of Handling Equipment are the main waste sub-drivers. Interestingly, three out of these five sub-drivers fall under the waste driver of connectivity-related drivers, emphasising the importance of connectivity in reducing waste. The study suggests circular economy-driven strategies and techniques such as circular business models, direct marketplaces, traceability systems, collaborative transportation and partnerships, equipment sharing systems or rental programs, and biogas-based cold storage systems to mitigate the impact of these identified waste sub-drivers. The findings of this study can guide stakeholders and policymakers in developing economies to reduce waste in vegetable supply chains. By addressing the identified waste sub-drivers, the supply chain can become more efficient, cost-effective, and sustainable, leading to significant economic and environmental benefits.