Title: Identifying causal factors for food loss in India's international supply chain of dry leguminous vegetables: a DEMATEL approach

Authors: Aaqib Chaudhary; Ram Singh

Addresses: Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, New Delhi, 110016, India ' Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, New Delhi, 110016, India

Abstract: In recent years, food losses have sought the immense attention of researcher(s) and policymaker(s). The paper adds a new perspective on identifying the causes of food loss in the international food supply chain by leveraging the Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) approach to classify the variables leading to the causes and effects of food losses in India's dry leguminous vegetable imports. Dry leguminous vegetables (pulses), critical to assessing global food losses as per the FAO Food Loss Index, seek wider attention to reducing losses. The paper narrates the causal factors and associated effects while exploring suggestions that can be implemented to reduce food losses. The paper's findings reveal the unavailability of infrastructure as the most influential cause, setting the stage for subsequent similar research on reducing losses with a new dimension of measuring them concerning the international food supply chain.

Keywords: food losses; dry leguminous vegetables (pulses); international food supply chain (FSC); DEMATEL approach.

DOI: 10.1504/IJLEG.2025.146824

International Journal of Logistics Economics and Globalisation, 2025 Vol.11 No.2, pp.122 - 147

Received: 01 Aug 2024
Accepted: 24 Oct 2024
Published online: 20 Jun 2025 *

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