Around the world, roughly 33% of all food produced is lost or wasted along the food supply chain. The reasons for so much food loss and waste (FLW) are complicated, but most FLW in developing countries occurs early in the supply chain due to a lack of infrastructure for efficient food production and safe storage, whereas most FLW in developed countries is caused by wasteful consumption (see figure below, courtesy of the FAO).
The environmental, economic, and social implications of FLW are monumental. Agriculture is by far the guiltiest guzzler of fresh water on the planet, so each kg of FLW represents water that didn’t have to be extracted from aquifers or withdrawn from rivers. In fact, an estimated 250 cubic kilometres of water is used to produce the food that is wasted annually, which is 3 times the size of Lake Geneva and enough water to fulfil annual water requirements of 150L/day for 4.5 billion people. In terms of land, FLW equates to 1.4 billion hectares of wasted cropland — larger than the entire arable land mass of China. FLW also accounts for 8% of global carbon emissions, meaning if FLW were a country it would be the 3rd largest carbon emitting nation behind only the USA and China. The annual economic cost of FLW hovers around $1 trillion, which is approximately the market value of Google and more than the entire GDP of most countries. Finally, to waste 1.3 billion tons of food per year while over 800 million people around the world suffer from chronic hunger is inexcusable from an ethical standpoint.
Given some of the above numbers reflecting the detrimental impacts of FLW, it comes as no surprise that the world isn’t standing still in setting goals to reduce FLW. Among the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for 2030 designated during the United Nations General Assembly of 2015 is SDG 12.3: reduce FLW by 50% by 2030. Consequently, the primary goal set about by many international organizations, industry, and government leaders is to reduce FLW by 50% by 2030. This is an ambitious goal, but we must aim high to sustainably feed a growing population while becoming carbon neutral and remaining within planetary boundaries for water and land use, species loss, and nutrient fluxes.
In this short piece, I suggest a few simple ways we can work together to reduce FLW, from the individual to the collective. My suggestions barely scratch the surface, as there are many diverse and interdependent causes of food waste, thus near-infinite opportunities for FLW reduction. A few causes of FLW are displayed in the figure below, courtesy of the United Nations Environmental Program and the UK-based non-profit WRAP.
The figure above can be viewed either as: a headache-inducing illustration of all of the reasons why FLW is too complex of a problem to tackle, or an illumination of all the opportunities out there to reduce FLW and inspiration to make a difference. Squinting at the whole diagram it’s tough to feel anything but overwhelmed by all the reasons food is wasted, many of which are built into currently existing supply chains. But zooming in, it’s possible to identify opportunities where small changes can have a palpable collective impact. As I represent a European consumer, I’ll be looking at how small changes made at the tail-end of the supply chain (to the right in the above diagram) can meaningfully reduce FLW.
The ideal way to reduce FLW is to prevent food waste from occurring with e.g. replenishment optimization, portion control, informative packaging, and proper food storage. Food waste can also be diverted to those in need via donations to soup kitchens or the use of food-sharing apps. If these options aren’t available, food waste can be donated for animal feed, compost, or energy generation. This is still technically food waste as the food isn’t consumed by humans, but it’s preferable to sending food waste to landfill, which has no added value and should always be avoided (see figure below — courtesy of WWF Magazine).
FLW can be reduced with minimal effort by consumers, retailers, and food service providers in a few ways:
1. Measure your food waste. Surveys have shown that around 75% of people think they waste less than their neighbours. By measuring food waste, consumers can get an accurate representation of what they waste, and the simple act of measurement will almost certainly lead to waste reduction. Retailers and food service providers like Tesco and Ikea already measure and reduce their FLW, resulting in benefits far outweighing the costs of implementing food waste reduction programs. Studies published by Champions 12.3, a coalition of business and government leaders committed to halving FLW by 2030, demonstrate that each dollar invested in FLW reduction in retail, food service, and hospitality can deliver $7 in avoided costs by reducing food ordering and waste disposal costs.
2. Understand date labels. More than half of waste of dairy products by European consumers is because of shelf-life date expiration. Date labels are often confusing, switching between terms like “best-before” and “use-by”. The difference is that “best-before” advises the last date the food should be eaten for optimal quality, while “use-by” refers to the last date for guaranteed food safety. It’s important to know that there is no common method for establishing these dates, and that they are usually on the conservative end, understating the longevity of food to limit food safety risks. So, as consumers, we should trust our senses and not only the date labels to understand when food has gone bad.
3. Clearer information on product packaging. More transparency and harmonization of terms used in date labels and on product packaging can raise awareness and help consumers reduce waste. In 2017, the Consumer Goods Forum committed to harmonize date labels worldwide by 2020 — making it easier for consumers to make use of information available on date labels. Also, information on packaging regarding the open shelf life (how long food can be left open at room temperature before it’s eaten) can help put us at ease as consumption patterns trend towards convenient, on-the-go food products. Additional information on proper food storage (e.g. fridge temperature, whether food should be frozen) can further help consumers reduce waste at home.
4. Proper food storage. Most FLW at home occurs when food is opened and left to spoil inside its original packaging. This waste can be reduced if, once opened, food is stored in airtight containers. For instance, bread is the most commonly wasted food item in European and American households. Instead of leaving bread in the open packaging to grow stale and mouldy, pop it in an airtight Tupperware container and it will be better protected.
5. Don’t be afraid of plastic. Despite the widespread plastic pollution plaguing our rivers and oceans, plastic still has a role to play in FLW reduction. The use of single-use plastic to protect food has a much smaller environmental impact than the waste of the food it protects. For example, wasting just one slice of bread, or half a slice of cheese, has greater environmental impacts than the production and disposal of all the plastic required to package it. So, don’t panic the next time you’re in a supermarket and you see a cucumber wrapped in plastic.
6. Sell and eat wonky fruit and vegetables. Fruit and vegetables account for a significant fraction of supermarket food waste, with retailers often struggling to sell imperfect or wonky-looking produce. By offering discounts for imperfect produce, retailers like Asda and Tesco have greatly increased sales of imperfect produce and cut waste. More exposure to imperfect produce also alleviates consumer stigma and makes us more willing to accept funny-looking fruit and veg. This allows supermarkets to relax cosmetic standards for the produce they sell in stores, reducing waste upstream as farmers are able to sell a greater fraction of their harvest to supermarkets. Fruit and vegetables that are too wonky-looking for sale can still be utilized in soups, sauces, smoothies, juices, and countless other imaginative recipes.
7. Donate and divert. In case food waste cannot be prevented, options to donate excess food or divert it for composting, energy generation, or animal feed production exist. Kitchen leftovers can be donated to food banks (where legally permitted), and excess food in food service and retail can be redistributed to consumers at a discount via apps like Too Good to Go. Such innovative food redistribution apps deliver triple-win outcomes — saving money for food providers and consumers, while benefitting the planet by reducing FLW — and I expect to see more pop up in the near future. Otherwise, many municipalities collect organic waste separately, ensuring that organic waste doesn’t end up rotting in landfills and releasing methane, a potent greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere. Take advantage if you can get your organic waste taken away separately, or you can always try making your own compost if you are blessed with enough garden space
It’s important to remember that the suggestions listed here represent only a small fraction of the ways FLW can be reduced, and I focused on simple, achievable options that require minimal investment. To achieve the ambitious goal of halving global FLW in the next decade, considerable investments will be needed to develop and pilot innovations in food production and storage, tweak food supply chains to optimize the use of scarce resources, and educate people that current levels of FLW are unsustainable and unacceptable.
Useful links:
Food Waste Reduction Alliance homepage
ReFed 27 solutions to food waste
Consumer Goods Forum FLW reduction case studies
Champions 12.3 2019 FLW progress report
WRAP and UNEP guidance for reducing food waste in households and businesses
