2015/01/01 by Sophie Prache, Prache, Sophie, Marie-Odile Nozières-Petit +1
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · Economics, Econometrics and Finance · #Caprins #Food Supply Chain Traceability #Food Waste Reduction and Sustainability #Food losses #Goat #Manques à produire #Meat #Ovins #Pertes alimentaires #Production losses #Regional Development and Management Studies #Sheep #Shortfall in production #Viande
paper · doi:10.15454/1.4622745498021023e12
openalex publication_date 2015/01/01 · openalex created_date 2022/09/05 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/27
The reduction of food losses and of shortfall in production is of major importance to cope with increasing world demand for food while preserving the resources and the environment. This paper quantifies, for the French sheep and goat meat supply chain, food losses at the abattoir and shortfall in production linked to animal mortality at the farm. Quantification of food losses due to mortality during transport, to seized material at the abattoir, and then at the retail and consumption stages are actually poorly documented. It is estimated that only 50% of sheep offal are used as human food and 7% for pet-food. Some food losses are linked to sanitary regulation, as some offals and parts of the carcass have to be eliminated from the supply chain for all small ruminants or for those which are more than 6 months old. Shortfall in production are linked to diseases and mortality, particularly in young animals. Small ruminant are particularly susceptible to parasites and exposed to predation risks, the latter being currently increasing. With the increase in flock size over the last decades which makes surveillance and the provision of assistance, particularly at lambing, more difficult, and with the emergence of new diseases, the control of lamb mortality remains a major issue. We conclude on the key levers for limiting food losses and shortfall in production.