Additionally, the value
of food loss and waste is estimated at $ 161.6 billion dollars in the United States, meaning the average consumer spends $ 370 per year on food they never eat.
The exact definition
of food loss and waste could vary by country, business and consumer.
Consumer education about food loss and waste Consumers account for 21 percent
of food loss and waste in the United States.
Selected new and ongoing activities directly contributing to the reduction
of food loss and waste are listed below.
Governments, companies, research institutions, and international agencies should refine methods for quantifying the economic, environmental, and social benefits
of food loss and waste reduction.
Given the magnitude
of food loss and waste globally, the report recommends nations, cities and businesses in the food supply chain move quickly to set reduction targets, measure progress and take action to reduce food loss and waste.
Every corner of the earth wastes food, and every nation feels the effects of a warming planet, in part caused by methane released from the 1.3 billion tons of food that go uneaten every year And yet, the specifics
of food loss and waste vary by country — and to be effective, the solutions have to be local.
In September 2015, a historic window of opportunity opened to elevate the issue
of food loss and waste reduction on the global agenda.
The following resources contain tools and guides for anyone attempting to quantify and reduce their own food loss and waste, as well as reading materials providing additional background on the causes, extent, and effects
of food loss and waste.
But one way to achieve this noble goal is actually quite straightforward: Reduce the massive amounts
of food loss and waste.
Sunny Verghese is co founder and group CEO of commodity trader Olam International Ltd, a member of the Champions 12.3 campaign group advocating for the reduction
of food loss and waste.
Consistent with the second step of the approach endorsed by Champions 12.3, this summer we partnered with the World Resources Institute to launch the first ever global standard for the measurement
of food loss and waste (FLW).
From the United Nations General Assembly to the First Green Business Forum to World Water Week and her position as Chair of the Global Water Partnership, she continues to explain the far - reaching implications
of food loss and waste to novel groups and to recruit new actors in the fight against food loss and waste.
According to the report, governments and organizations across Europe, Africa and the United States have taken a number of notable steps over the past year, but — considering the enormous scope
of the food loss and waste challenge — much more is needed worldwide.
Food losses near the farm — during production, handling and storage — account for half
of this food loss and waste around the world and contribute to hunger.
The activities of the SAVE FOOD initiative play an important role to fight against food loss and food waste, mainly by raising awareness and by providing platforms to discuss on the issues
of food loss and waste.
Promote the reduction
of food loss and waste through policies, guidance and other tools that will strengthen communities and reduce the associated environmental, social, and economic impacts.
The G20 agriculture ministers highlighted the extent
of food loss and waste (FLW) as «a global problem of enormous economic, environmental and societal significance» and encouraged all G20 members to strengthen their collective efforts to reduce FLW.
To get a better understanding of the size and impacts
of food loss and waste, help standardize measurement and data analysis tools.
One of its cutting - edge studies is the measuring
of food loss and waste at all stages — from production and post-production to processing, distribution and consumption — in order to identify the origin and cost of food waste and loss at the local, regional and global level.
What to Watch: These platforms are very helpful for those who are already aware of the difficulties
of food loss and waste, but will these resources be targeted at those who are not yet prioritizing the issue?
The Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) recently released a comprehensive report on the state
of food loss and waste in Canada, Mexico and the United States developed through the CEC's North American Initiative on Food Waste Reduction and Recovery.
In this webinar, we provide guidance on describing the scope
of your food loss and waste inventory by using the language in the Food Loss and Waste Accounting and Reporting Standard (FLW Standard).
The Crawford Fund conference provided an excellent opportunity for attendees to gain a broader picture
of food loss and waste research in developing countries and promoted collaboration through multiple networking sessions which will be invaluable in the future.
One of the key issues / messages coming out of the conference that really hit home for me, was the fact that most
of our food loss and waste in the developed world is «near the fork» or in our own home, but in developing areas food loss and waste is mostly during production, handling and storage.
I believe that I benefited from the conference immensely; as an emerging food security leader, to understand the landscape
of food loss and waste is essential.
Much of the discussion
of food loss and waste has been predicated on this assumption, with the related conclusion that better management and distribution of existing supplies could substitute for investment in increased productive capacity.
During his time at WRI, he has worked extensively on the topic
of food loss and waste, having served as the lead author on the paper «Reducing Food Loss and Waste».
Reduction
of food loss and waste has received increased attention in recent years.
With respect to water that is added (or if the intrinsic water weight of an item is reduced), users of the FLW Standard are required to report the weight
of food loss and waste that reflects the state in which the food loss and waste was generated before water was added (or before the intrinsic water weight was reduced).
These case studies share why some are measuring food loss and waste and the benefits of doing so, how they define the scope
of their food loss and waste inventory using the FLW Standard, and some of the innovations that are helping them achieve their goals.
The FLW Protocol itself does not assure conformance
of a food loss and waste inventory to the FLW Standard.
So far, measurement
of food loss and waste and implementation
of food loss and waste reduction strategies has been a resounding success at IKEA.
It also gives you the information you need to dig deeper into the causes
of food loss and waste, identify hot spots, and prioritize the areas for targeted action.
When food and associated inedible parts at food banks or charities are removed from the food supply chain (i.e., not ultimately consumed by people), these entities should use the FLW Standard to account and record the amount
of food loss and waste.
Not only has this allowed us to identify where there are food waste hotspots in our own operations, it has also helped us to take action in those areas
of food loss and waste.
Achim Steiner, Executive Director, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP): «The scale of the problem
of food loss and waste can be difficult to comprehend.
Standardization
of food loss and waste measurement is underway, too.
You can enter the items you are required to report to be in conformance with the FLW Standard, and create a summary
of your food loss and waste inventory.
The huge rate
of food loss and waste should come as no surprise then, since most countries and companies do not quantify how much or where food is being lost or wasted.
In May 2015 under the Turkey Presidency, the G20 agriculture ministers highlighted the extent
of food loss and waste (FLW) as «a global problem of enormous economic, environmental and societal significance» and encouraged all G20 members to strengthen their collective efforts to prevent and reduce FLW.
There have also been advances in policies as well as education efforts like the Save the Food campaign to raise awareness
of food loss and waste.
The Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) recently released Characterisation and Management
of Food Loss and Waste in North America, a comprehensive report on the state
of food loss and waste in Canada, Mexico
The Congress pursued a multi-dimensional approach to address the issue
of food losses and waste comprehensively.
Not exact matches
The new report will highlight untapped opportunities for both business
and society, stemming from five risks: Resistance to Lifesaving Medicine, Accelerating Transport Emissions,
Loss of Ocean Biodiversity, Global
Food Crisis
and A Generation
Wasted.
$ 621,600 USD granted to create a roadmap that will present a deeper analysis
of food waste and loss across the supply chain by region, sector
and food type,
and will include insights on the causes
of food waste and loss.
This funding seeks to support promising programs that have the potential to significantly reduce
food waste and loss — with the ultimate goals
of preventing
loss, maximizing donations
of usable
food,
and minimizing
food waste that ends up in landfills.
Investing in efficient, low - cost
and sustainable processing technologies, adequate storage
and packaging solutions, road infrastructure
and market linkages as well as providing training
and education to chain actors, including consumers, are among the tried
and proven interventions which increase the efficiency
of the chain
and therefore lead to a reduction in
food loss and waste.
The report details a number
of notable steps that have happened around the world, including national
food loss and waste reduction targets established in the United States
and in countries across the European Union
and African Union.
Reducing
loss and waste throughout the
food supply chain should be considered an effective solution to reduce the environmental impacts
of agriculture, to improve the income
and livelihood
of the chain actors
and to improve
food and nutrition security for low - income consumers.