Effective food waste management model for the sustainable agricultural food supply chain

The real-world situation of food supply chain in Bandung Regency

The supply chain at Bandung Regency involves three primary participants: farmers, intermediaries, and customers. Each of these actors assumes distinct roles and responsibilities within the agricultural product supply chain. Farmers are individuals responsible for producing agricultural products. Intermediaries are entities that aid farmers in the distribution of their products to the primary consumers. These intermediary participants can be categorized into two groups: wholesalers and retailers. Wholesalers are entities that acquire these products from farmers, either directly or indirectly, and subsequently sell them to purchasers in bulk quantities. Meanwhile, retailers are parties who directly sell products to the end consumers²⁷.

There are two categories of wholesalers: merchant wholesalers and agents or brokers. The distinction between a merchant wholesaler and an agent or broker is found in how they participate in the supply chain process of distributing goods. Agents or brokers primarily facilitate connections between farmers and wholesalers who have direct market or customer access. They do this through communication and negotiation without physically handling the agricultural products, a role often referred to as being intermediaries or middle-men^27,28. On the other hand, supermarkets are larger, modern retailers with a self-service concept, aiming to fulfill consumers’ complete grocery and household product needs²⁷. Online retailers conduct transactions without the need for physical interaction between sellers and buyers, operating through online platforms.

Lastly, customers are individuals or entities that use or consume the agricultural products, either for personal use or for further distribution as different products. In the agricultural product supply chain within Bandung Regency, customers can be categorized into two groups based on how they utilize the purchased items: the consumer market and the business market²⁷. Consumer markets involve individuals who use products for personal consumption, while business markets consist of customers who purchase and distribute products in bulk, often to other businesses or consumers after processing.

Figure 1 illustrates the movement of agricultural products, particularly vegetables and fruits, within the agricultural supply chain of Bandung Regency. The figure depicts that agricultural products have their source in farmers or crop producers and ultimately reach consumers, encompassing both business clients and individual end users.

Bandung Regency’s Current Agricultural Supply Chain.

Current handling of unused product during the supply chain process

While it may seem that agricultural products follow a path from farmers as producers to eventual consumers, not all of these products find buyers and are sold. According to the data gathered, a significant portion of unsold products ends up as waste. Interestingly, not all of these products are in poor condition, and some still possess quality suitable for sale in the market. These unsold products can be categorized into three broad groups based on their condition, as outlined in the matrix proposed by Teigiserova, Hamelin, and Thomsen²⁹: surplus food, food waste, and food loss.

To reduce food surplus, the “reduce” principle can be applied through measures like careful production planning or the utilization of advanced storage technologies, such as cold chain management. As per the interviews, certain actors, particularly those in financially stable positions like supermarkets, exporters, and restaurants, have successfully implemented waste reduction efforts, and the outcomes have indeed assisted them in waste reduction. However, some other actors still face challenges in implementing these measures, primarily due to limited financial resources (additional obstacles can be found in Fig. 2, the Rich picture).

Rich Picture of Bandung Regency’s Agriculture Supply Chain and Current Waste Management Practice.

The “reuse” principle, particularly for surplus edible products, is crucial alongside prevention measures. Common methods include distributing to food collection organizations, providing to local communities for free, selling at reduced prices, and processing into other food items. Selling at lower prices is the most commonly adopted. Partially edible products are often reused, while true food waste can be repurposed through recycling for animal feed, composting, insect rearing, and material recovery. However, recycling efforts are limited due to a lack of knowledge, leading some to dispose of unused products. Another option is energy generation through anaerobic digestion, but it’s currently underutilized.

Meanwhile, according to government officials interviewed, it was emphasized that independent waste management efforts by the community were essential. This was seen as necessary because it would be impossible for the government alone to handle all waste-related responsibilities. A key limitation from the government’s perspective is the inadequate waste management infrastructure in Bandung Regency.

As stated in the 2018 performance report of the Bandung Regency Environmental Service, with only 100 waste transport vehicles, the government was able to collect and transport a mere 16.32% of the waste, a figure that decreased further in 2019 to 12.6% due to a rise in waste generation. Consequently, the Bandung Regency government encourages residents to take a more active role in waste management.

The government has initiated various efforts to enable citizens to participate in waste reduction. However, in practice, people have been slow to embrace waste management practices. Even with organizational support, only 40% of the population actively engages in these programs, as per representatives from non-governmental organization s during telephone interviews on June 16, 2022. Additionally, when not continuously supported, people tend to discontinue their participation. Meanwhile, the organizations themselves face resource limitations, preventing them from providing ongoing assistance and monitoring to residents. The challenges faced by various actors and their competing priorities often lead them to opt for waste disposal rather than utilization. Figure 2, the Rich Picture, illustrates the complex issues within the agricultural product supply chain in Bandung Regency and waste management.

Root definition

The Rich Picture diagram illustrates that actors have not fully embraced waste utilization. Despite the obstacles and concerns expressed in interviews, the main challenge lies in changing people’s ingrained habit of disposing of anything they consider useless. Society is accustomed to discarding items, while the government aims to encourage people not to waste potentially useful items and find ways to repurpose them. This is a significant hurdle as these habits have persisted for a long time and are deeply ingrained. When asked why they don’t utilize waste, some individuals couldn’t provide specific reasons and considered discarding waste as an automatic and unquestioned habit.

However, other barriers contribute to people’s reluctance to utilize waste. Interviews reveal that a common obstacle is the lack of public awareness about the significance and urgency of waste issues, as well as limited knowledge about waste management. Many interviewees indicated that they hadn’t experienced any negative consequences from waste accumulation, and some considered littering as a normal practice driven by their circumstances.

The issue of low public awareness of waste problems is also acknowledged by government agencies and non-governmental organization’s working in the solid waste sector. The abandonment and limited success of various waste reduction programs and facilities can be attributed to this problem. As mentioned earlier, even when the government and non-governmental organization’s assisted communities in implementing waste reduction programs, these initiatives were not adopted by 100% of the residents, and often not even by half of them. This drop-off in participation occurred particularly when residents were no longer under active supervision, despite initially appearing proficient in executing the programs during mentoring periods. Consequently, the model areas or waste processing assistance efforts were not sustained, and residents reverted to their old habits. (Non-governmental organization Representatives, Telephone Interview, 16/06/2022).

Waste can be used wisely to make it more valuable. Certain agricultural products such as fruit remnants can be repurposed into other valuable products by recovering their bioactive compounds through valorization techniques²³. Some individuals have attempted to reuse waste by processing it into fertilizer, selling it in the market, or transforming it into other products. However, the outcomes often did not justify the effort expended, leading them to revert to discarding waste. The comparison between results and effort involved revolves around the processed products’ energy, time, and additional costs required for waste processing. For example, energy generated from waste processing in a biodigester was only sufficient for 1-2 nearby houses or a community meeting hall, indicating limited impact.

The economic value of waste utilization presents as second obstacle. While some individuals are willing to utilize waste for economic benefits, many view its main advantage as environmental. This perspective is especially common among economically disadvantaged individuals. Market challenges, such as distance from potential users and a lack of awareness about product benefits, also hinder waste utilization. Additionally, farmers may continue to harvest even in oversupplied markets, leading to increased costs and waste. This economic focus discourages waste processing.

The third obstacle is limited resources, such as time, funding, manpower, and technology. Time constraints are the major issue, as supply chain actors prioritize their core income-generating activities. Financials limitations, especially among unstable actors, hinder investments in technologies like cold storage or food processing tools.

Supermarkets, in particular, face space limitations for waste processing, and these constraints can lead to discontinuation of waste utilization programs in favor of waste disposal through cleaning services. Overall, changing waste management habits is challenging when immediate waste disposal is the norm, and public awareness of the government’s goals is lacking. Perceived benefits, distribution challenges, and resource limitations further deter habit changes. A CATWOE analysis, aimed at shifting waste handling habits towards waste utilization, is detailed in the table below.

The Table 1 CATWOE analysis shows how the ideal system is to produce an effective transition to the habit of utilizing waste.In the CATWOE framework, the first element is the “customer,” which, in this context, refers to society at large within the agricultural supply chain. The second element, the “actor,” encompasses all stakeholders committed to changing food waste disposal habits. Collaboration is essential to effectively bring about this change. The third element, “transformation,” aims to change habits while considering the factors driving and inhibiting change. The fourth element, “Weltanschauung,” emphasizes that this change system should align with individuals’ fundamental needs for achieving and sustaining change. The “owner,” as the fifth element, is the government, which not only acknowledges the food waste issue but also holds the authority to influence and regulate societal behavior. The final element, the “environment,” encompasses the entire agricultural product supply chain, extending beyond Bandung Regency.

Conceptual model

The CATWOE analysis indicates a need for a mechanism to enhance how people utilize waste. To address this, a conceptual model was developed in this study, utilizing the ADKAR change management paradigm, which was introduced by Prosci in 1998. The selection of the ADKAR model was based on its appropriateness for implementing changes that require acceptance from those undergoing the change, in this case, society. This choice was made considering the scope and impact of the change. Therefore, Fig. 2, titled “The Conceptual Model,” illustrates the system for altering people’s behaviors to maximize waste utilization.

According to the ADKAR model in Figure 3, the first step in facilitating change is to create awareness among those involved. This awareness should encompass an understanding of the reasons for change and the potential risks if change is not implemented. In the context of promoting waste utilization³⁰, it’s crucial for change agents to ensure that people comprehend the issues surrounding food waste and how utilizing waste can address these concerns. Without this understanding, people may be hesitant to change their habits. The subsequent step in driving change is to stimulate people’s desire to use waste, as this motivation is what can encourage active participation in the change process. In the context of waste utilization, change agents must grasp the community’s desires and needs regarding waste use to motivate them for necessary changes. However, the lack of perceived benefits from changing routines has hindered supply chain actors’ embrace of waste utilization. Interviews with those who have used waste revealed a positive impact, especially on environmental aspects, but this alone wasn’t enough motivation to continue, except for individuals in supermarkets who viewed environmental concerns as part of their corporate social responsibility. Their primary focus, though, was on economic aspects. In fact, most respondents indicated that they would be more interested in waste utilization if processed waste products could provide economic value by increasing income or reducing expenses.

The next step involves changing people’s behavior by providing them with information on effective waste utilization. This goes beyond theoretical knowledge and includes practical understanding of the new tasks and responsibilities associated with these changes, along with training. Four key aspects must be addressed when influencing change knowledge: existing community knowledge, the community’s learning capacity, available resources for education and training, and access to information. It’s crucial to consider these factors for effective knowledge delivery. Change agents should tailor their approach to the specific audience they are addressing.

Once the community has the necessary knowledge, the next phase is to implement waste utilization. This phase includes developing strategies and action plans and evaluating the effectiveness of implementation. Putting knowledge into practice is vital because theory and practice can differ. To sustain these changes, reinforcement is essential. This can be achieved through incentives, recognition, or even government policies mandating the changes. Finally, change agents must continuously monitor and control their efforts to alter waste utilization habits, understanding that forming new habits takes time, especially in large-scale changes. Monitoring and control ensure alignment with government objectives and allow for necessary adjustments.

The ADKAR model outlined in the context of waste utilization provides a structured approach to driving change by focusing on awareness, desire, knowledge, action, and reinforcement. The applicability and effectiveness of the model in the context of waste utilization depend on its successful adaptation to local contexts, effective stakeholder engagement, practical knowledge delivery, and ongoing monitoring and reinforcement efforts. When implemented thoughtfully and comprehensively, the model can serve as a valuable framework for driving sustainable change in waste management practices.