The estimated national production of cereals, legumes and food oils in Brazil was 135 million tonnes in 2009 (IBGE, 2009)

·         According to the report “Nutrition and the conscientious consumer” of the Akata Institute, 2003, approximently 64% of crops planted in Brasil are lost from the chain of production:

o        20% during harvest

o        8% during transport and storage;

o        15% by the food processing industry;

o        1% by resellers;

o        20% due to the cooking process and eating habits.

·         These losses frequently occur because of:

o        The elimination of deformed products during harvest;

o        The use of inadequate packaging during transport and distribution – fruits and vegetables are stacked in square boxes that almost never leave the food intact, but bruised and scratched;

o        The selection of only the best products for food processing, discarding those that don´t pass quality control;

o        The disposal by resellers of products close to their use-by-date;

o        Poor buying decisions and cooking habits in the homes of the consumers that purchase more food then they need and don’t prioritise the whole use of the edible parts of food leading to even more waste.

·         On average, the APC collects 10 tonnes of excess food in the city of São Paulo every week. This food is without commercial value and would be thrown in the trash. On average 60% of this food possesses a high nutritional value.