ABSTRACT
The unavailability of labor is widely recognized as one of many causes of food loss in the United States. The availability of farm labor is one of several factors that limit growers’ ability to reduce on-farm food loss. Food loss may seem large when measured in terms of dollars or volume of production. Produce growers also must focus on selecting fruit and vegetables that look appealing to consumers. The development of mechanical harvesters is an easy task. Technological innovations are already prominent features of the production of many formerly labor-intensive crops such as raisins and processing tomatoes. Trucking produce to packaging facilities, processors, or wholesalers is another segment of the supply chain in which the scarcity of labor can lead to food loss. A loosening of the cost-price squeeze would provide farmers with an economic incentive to hire more workers that might lead to lower levels of food loss.
