Food waste affects more than a third of the food produced on our planet each year. It occurs throughout the supply chain, from producer to consumer, from agricultural production to the processing of food, its transport and sale, and the storage and use of food in our homes.
- The global burden of food waste
- Strategies to reduce food waste
- The challenges of the food market
- The food challenges of individuals
The global burden of food waste
Every year, it is estimated that one third of the food produced for human consumption is wasted, which equates to approximately 1.3 billion tonnes of food waste along the production and consumption chain.
Globally, food waste is responsible for about 8% of total greenhouse gas emissions. If it were a country, it would be the third largest emitter of greenhouse gases in the world, after China and the United States.
What are the main reasons?
First of all, there are expiry dates: when products are not used within the allotted time, they end up spoiling or expiring. Then there are the losses during agricultural production and transport. Finally, there is home consumption, where food is forgotten in fridges, pantries, or on the plate.
This represents not only environmental damage but also a waste of vital resources such as energy, water and land. All this highlights serious ethical and social issues because while some people have access to abundant and quality food, many others go hungry and do not have enough to eat.
Strategies to reduce food waste
Goal 12 of the UN 2030 Agenda calls for halving global per capita food waste by 2030.
The Strategy From Farm to Fork of Europe aims to make date labels clearer and to stop their misuse, as well as to investigate food loss along the supply chain and to promote the donation of safe food.
In Italy, the Observatory on Food Surpluses, Recoveries and Waste leads the fight against food waste. This body is dedicated to valorising food surpluses, encouraging their redistribution to charitable organisations and promoting their use for human consumption.
The Ministry of Health launched the SPAIC project, focused on the consumer to identify and correct practices that lead to waste.
At national level, the Circular Economy Regulation Package, the National Food Waste Prevention Plan, the National Sustainable Development Strategy, the National Food Waste Law and the National Waste Prevention Programme are significant policy instruments.
The challenges of the food market
The adoption of models of circular economy can contribute to limiting food waste. This approach aims to reduce waste along the entire food value chain, from production to consumption.
Companies dedicated to combating food waste face a number of complex challenges, let’s look at some of them:
- Supply chain management: in order to reduce waste, it is essential to optimise every stage, from production to transport and food storage
- Consumer awareness: properly informing people about the correct use of food and the real interpretation of expiry dates can make a big difference
- Technological innovation plays a crucial role: companies must implement advanced technological solutions to monitor and limit waste throughout the supply chain
- Partnerships are also essential: working together with non-profit organisations or other companies can help donate unsold food or recycle it in a sustainable way, such as composting.
The food challenges of individuals
Everyone can play a role in reducing food waste with everyday gestures: from planning purchases to understanding the labels to consciously reusing what you already own.
Proper portion management and maintenance of storage temperatures are essential to extend the shelf life of food.
Sharing initiatives such as the solidarity fridges and the batch cooking are community practices that promote the responsible use of resources. Educational workshops and joining groups of food savers that distribute unsold food are activities that not only combat waste, but also strengthen the social fabric.
These small gestures, multiplied on a global scale, can trigger significant change, valuing food as a precious resource and as a bond that unites people.
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