Food Loss and Waste
FReSH recognizes the critical need to address food loss and waste to improve food security, minimize the environmental footprint of the global food system and achieve SDG 12.3:halving per capita food loss and waste by 2030. Our aim is to help companies reduce supply chain inefficiencies, adopt a circular economy and increase producer and individual awareness about the importance of and strategies for minimizing food loss and waste.
The Challenge
Reducing food loss and waste can help reduce food insecurity and the agricultural sector’s and food system’s environmental footprint. One-third of all food produced for human consumption is lost or wasted globally. It is responsible for 8% of GHG emissions, consumes 25% of all agricultural water, and wastes a land area the size of China. Higher-income regions waste more food at the consumption stage; lower-income regions lose food during the production, handling and storage stages, because of poor infrastructure and a lack of cold-storage containers.
The Business Case
Addressing food loss and waste requires voluntary business commitments and supply chain action: production, handling, storage, processing, packaging, distribution, consumption. Companies should couple changes they can make on their own – such as reducing portion sizes or improving packaging – with wider pre-competitive collaborative efforts to transform business models, such as leveraging retailer capabilities to connect waste generators to waste users. Other endeavors, like improving date labelling and raising consumer awareness, can also strongly reduce the amount of food waste.
The Business Solution
We support business efforts to reduce food loss and waste by improving supply chain efficiencies and infrastructure, and exploring and elevating innovative circular economy approaches. Our case study portfolio from member companies shares successes and challenges in tackling supply chain food loss and waste. We provide companies with guidance documents and tools from strategic partners and we offer engagement opportunities to work directly with these groups to facilitate learning. We also offer the opportunity to provide inputs into key gatherings and platforms focused on food loss and waste.