Strategic interventions for minimising food loss in agri-food supply chains: a systematic literature review and conceptual framework development

Purpose Food loss in agrifood supply chains (AFSCs) drains one-third of global production, undermining food security, natural resources and climate resilience. Interventions abound but are scattered, sector-bound and rarely assessed comparatively. This paper develops a systemic benchmarking framework that reconceives food loss not as isolated inefficiency but as an outcome of interacting interventions across supply chain domains. Design/methodology/approach A systematic review of 102 peer-reviewed studies was conducted following the PRISMA protocol. Evidence was drawn from agricultural sciences, logistics and operations management, then interpreted through general systems theory and complex adaptive systems. This dual lens organised interventions into six domains: contractual, infrastructural, network-based, data-driven, behavioural and governance, and layered them across enabling, execution and adaptive tiers. Findings The framework crystallises into a benchmarking device that maps interventions by levers, metrics and tools. Vertical readings provide diagnostic clarity within each domain; horizontal readings expose interdependencies that condition resilience. Three recurrent scenarios, adaptive informality, data-governance integration and transitional hybrid, show how interventions cluster, generating feedback loops and emergent equilibria that shape system trajectories. Research limitations/implications The review consolidates fragmented evidence but future research must embed longitudinal, cross-regional and equity-sensitive benchmarking to capture evolving dynamics. Practical implications The framework offers practitioners and policymakers a roadmap for sequencing and scaling interventions, diagnosing fragility and aligning strategies to systemic conditions. Originality/value The study advances benchmarking in AFSCs by moving from static comparison to systemic diagnosis, establishing the first integrated framework for evaluating and orchestrating food loss interventions.