Food waste and staff shortages - a structural problem in the Netherlands

Although food waste is most often associated with waste generated by end recipients, namely consumers, it is worth looking at this phenomenon more broadly. Doing so makes it clear that the problem arises across the entire supply chain. According to research institutions, a very large share of losses occurs much earlier than might be expected. Using the Netherlands as an example, it can be observed that this often happens at the very beginning of the process and is frequently caused by a shortage of labour. The problem is most evident in sectors where work is seasonal, time-intensive, and difficult to fully automate. As a result, a lack of workers translates directly into the scale of food waste in the Netherlands, despite high levels of production and sustained market demand.

1. Overproduction of food and real operational constraints

At the outset, it is worth noting that Dutch agriculture is characterised by exceptionally high efficiency on a European scale. Under favourable weather conditions, harvest volumes may significantly exceed long-term averages. This seemingly positive situation quickly exposes a fundamental weakness within the system. Once an entrepreneur realises that the available workforce is insufficient to process harvested food on time, production volume becomes a secondary concern. The relatively short shelf life of agricultural products, particularly fruit and vegetables, requires immediate action at the stages of harvesting, sorting, and initial processing.

Top five most wasted product groups and
their share of the total average household waste.

Seasonality of harvests and time pressure

Due to the seasonal nature of agricultural production, demand for workers occurs within short and extremely intensive periods. At specific moments, labour demand increases sharply, and when labour markets such as that of the Netherlands are already experiencing structural shortages, operational difficulties inevitably arise. If workers are not available at the right moment, even minor delays can result in significant quality losses and, subsequently, quantitative losses. Losses generated at this stage of the supply chain are irreversible and cannot be compensated for later through logistics or commercial operations.

Weather variability further intensifies this pressure. Harvest windows are sometimes shorter than anticipated, which increases the need for workforce flexibility. A lack of workers at critical moments leads to crops being left in the fields or harvested too late, when product quality no longer meets commercial standards. From the perspective of businesses, this results not only in financial losses but also in wasted natural resources, energy, and labour inputs. Over time, this dynamic reduces the efficiency of the entire agri-food sector and increases its vulnerability to market fluctuations.

2. Staff shortages in the Netherlands – data and market trends

The lack of a sufficient number of workers has become a permanent feature of the Dutch economic landscape. Data from the Netherlands Business Survey indicate that approximately two-thirds of companies operating in the Netherlands experience staffing difficulties, with the scale of the problem varying by company size. Larger enterprises report labour shortages more frequently than smaller ones, which has direct implications for sectors reliant on high production and processing volumes.

In response, companies adopt a range of strategies aimed at mitigating workforce shortages. In practice, however, not all of these approaches deliver immediate results, particularly in sectors requiring physical labour. Investments in automation are often intended to improve productivity and make jobs more attractive, yet their impact is gradual and does not address urgent labour gaps. Consequently, some businesses choose to reduce production levels to match available staffing capacity, effectively limiting operations despite existing demand.

Demographic trends further exacerbate this situation. An ageing population combined with a declining number of individuals willing to undertake physically demanding work creates a persistent labour gap within the Dutch labour market. This shortage persists even during periods of economic slowdown, indicating that it is structural rather than cyclical. In sectors such as agriculture and food processing, this reality means that labour shortages in the Netherlands represent a long-term operational risk that continues to affect production capacity and food availability.

3. Agriculture and the agro-food sector as areas of particular risk

Agriculture and the agro-food sector are among the industries most exposed to the consequences of labour shortages. This vulnerability stems from both the nature of the work and the organisation of production processes. Agricultural production and food processing depend on tasks carried out within strictly defined time windows, often determined by weather conditions and biological growth cycles. This limits flexibility in rescheduling operations, and any delay can result in quality deterioration and volume losses. Unlike many other sectors, the agro-food industry cannot simply compensate for missed work at a later stage without compromising the final product.

Foreign recruitment as a response to labour deficits

According to Statistics Netherlands, companies operating in agriculture, forestry, and fishing are more likely than those in other sectors to identify recruitment from abroad as a key strategy for addressing workforce shortages. In the Netherlands Business Survey conducted in April 2025, 23 percent of firms in this sector indicated that they recruit workers from outside the country, the highest proportion among all analysed industries. These findings show that reliance on foreign workers in the Netherlands is not a temporary solution but a permanent element of the agro-food operating model.

Structural dependence on seasonal work

The agro-food sector’s dependence on seasonal labour is structural. While technology supports sorting, packaging, and logistics, it cannot fully replace human labour during harvesting and quality selection of fresh products. International analyses confirm that the sector relies heavily on temporary and migrant workers who enable production continuity during peak periods. Without access to seasonal workers, companies face increased food losses, supply-chain instability, and reduced ability to respond to fluctuations in supply and demand.

4. Food waste as an effect of labour constraints

According to data from the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, food losses are not solely the result of consumer behaviour but occur to a large extent during production, processing, and distribution stages. Workforce shortages prevent companies from fully utilising production capacity even when demand is high. As a result, part of the output is discarded or never enters commercial circulation.

The Netherlands Nutrition Centre clearly highlights this issue, stating:

“Food waste occurs throughout the food supply chain, from primary production to consumption, with a significant share arising before food reaches the consumer.”

This observation confirms that a substantial share of food loss in the supply chain arises at stages highly dependent on labour availability. Even minor staffing gaps can therefore lead to disproportionately large losses, particularly in the case of perishable goods requiring rapid handling.

An additional factor increasing food waste is the need to align production with available labour resources. CBS data show that companies increasingly limit their activities to levels manageable with their current workforce (CBS, Netherlands Business Survey, April 2025). While such decisions may be rational from an operational perspective, they contribute to systemic food waste and economic value loss, while also increasing environmental pressure through inefficient use of resources.

5. The role of foreign workers and employment agencies

When labour shortages become structural, the role of professional employment agencies gains systemic importance. Cooperation with an employment agency in the Netherlands is no longer a short-term solution but an integral part of labour-market functioning, particularly in sectors sensitive to seasonality and time pressure.

Foreign workers play a crucial role in stabilising operations by enabling companies to respond flexibly to fluctuating labour demand. During peak harvest periods or increased processing activity, access to additional workforce resources determines whether food is harvested, processed, and delivered to market on time. Without such flexibility, companies are forced to reduce production or utilise only part of their output, directly increasing food waste.

Employment agencies are responsible not only for recruitment but also for managing the entire employment process. In the case of Intraservis, this includes workforce planning, legalisation of residence and employment, transport and accommodation arrangements, and ongoing operational support. Such temporary staffing solutions allow companies to focus on core activities while significantly reducing the risk of disruptions caused by staffing shortages.

To limit food waste, the ability to respond quickly to changing production conditions is essential. Seasonal cycles, demand fluctuations, and weather variability require flexible employment models that cannot be sustained through the local labour market alone. Legally employed foreign workers help maintain operational continuity during periods of peak pressure.

Labour-market experts emphasise that demographic trends will further increase the importance of employment agencies. An ageing population, declining interest in physically demanding work, and rising expectations regarding working conditions make workforce shortages in the agro-food sector a lasting challenge. In this context, the absence of foreign workers would not only increase production costs but also exacerbate food waste.

From a long-term perspective, strategic cooperation with employment agencies improves production planning and reduces the risk of unexpected downtime. This enhances process predictability, enables better use of production capacity, and supports sustainable development by reducing waste of natural resources and labour.

Food waste in the Netherlands increasingly results from persistent labour-market constraints that limit companies’ ability to manage production efficiently. Flexible workforce management, including access to foreign labour, is therefore a key factor in reducing losses throughout the agri-food supply chain.