No Grain Left Behind, Part 6: Harvest Efficiency and Post-Harvest Loss

In a time where biodiversity and ecosystem vitality are declining at a rapid rate due to a changing climate and degradation of renewable natural resources, understanding how and where loss occurs in the food system is integral to mitigating the impact the food system has on our environment as well as anticipating when and where we will have food shortages.

No Grain Left Behind, the sixth installment in WWF’s No Food Left Behind series, focuses on harvest-related losses for corn and soybeans, as these crops are commonly rotated throughout the U.S. and collectively represent 22% of all agricultural cropland. Measuring and identifying loss drivers to improve the management and total yield presents an opportunity to capture food early in the value chain—with the potential to improve harvests, benefit producers, the land, and the resources used to produce the crop.

For methodology and technical research, see the No Grain Left Behind: Midwest Corn and Soy Harvest Efficiency Report.