Losses at the farm level are among the least understood aspects of food loss and waste throughout the value chain. Estimates differ greatly. Depending on the crop, geographic region and infrastructure available, drivers behind on-farm losses differ greatly as well, as do the solutions necessary to address these losses. This complexity makes it difficult to identify just where to apply interventions to reduce food loss at the farm level. This presentation seeks to examine what is known about on-farm losses, identify major gaps in knowledge, and propose steps forward to help demystify the nature of food loss at the production level. A special emphasis is placed on quantification and measurement of food loss, since the lack of data available around this issue is a major barrier to understanding the best approaches for reducing food loss. The focus then shifts to solutions to food loss, which will be further highlighted through case studies being offered by the next speakers in this session.