Food loss and waste is a critical environmental, social and governance problem requiring urgent whole-of-chain action.
The Consumer Goods Forum Food Waste Coalition of Action is committed to cutting food loss and waste —some 40% of all food grown is wasted.
Food loss and waste contributes to climate change, accounting for 8-10% percent of annual global greenhouse gas emissions — if food loss and waste were a country, it would be the third biggest emitter of greenhouse gases. Food loss and waste wastes 1/4 of fresh water used in agriculture every year.
While a significant portion of food is lost along the food supply chain, a lot of food is wasted at the household level. Data from the UNEP shows that some 60% of food waste happens in peoples’ homes. How can we help more people to waste less food?
With the #TooGoodToWaste consumer engagement campaign, we are asking fellow food industry members to help raise awareness, inform and educate, and help consumers reduce household food waste.
By using the hashtag #TooGoodToWaste as we share knowledge, tips and advice on reducing household food waste, our Coalition of Action adds our voices to others calling for a greater global community of action targeting and changing specific behaviors that waste precious food.
Member companies of the Consumer Goods Forum’s Food Waste Coalition of Action strive for industry progress on UN SDG 12.3: “to halve per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels and reduce food losses along production and supply chains, including post-harvest losses” by 2030.
To find out more about our work to reduce Food Waste see here.
By using the hashtag #TooGoodToWaste as our member food manufacturers and retailers share inspiration, knowledge, tips, and advice on reducing household food waste, the Food Waste Coalition of Action adds our voices to others calling for a greater global community of action targeting and changing specific behaviours that waste precious food.
We ask CGF member food companies and food industry stakeholders to show support
Questions, suggestions or ideas?
[ FAO | World Food Day ] – Collective action across 150 countries worldwide is what makes World Food Day one of the most celebrated days of the UN calendar. Hundreds of events and outreach activities bring together governments, businesses, civil society organizations (CSOs), the media, the public, and even youth. They promote worldwide awareness of hunger and promote action for the future of food, people and the planet.
#WorldFoodDay 2023 shines a spotlight on water as the foundation for life and food. The campaign raises awareness worldwide about the importance of managing water wisely as the availability of this precious resource is threatened by rapid population growth urbanisation, economic development, and climate change.
Governments, the private sector, farmers, academia, civil society and individuals need to work together to address global water challenges. We need to produce more food and other essential agricultural commodities with less water, while ensuring water is distributed equally, our aquatic food systems are preserved, and nobody is left behind.
Together, we can be the change.
It takes a lot of water to produce food and to get it from farm to table. Lost and wasted food also means wasted water. Improve meal planning with a shopping list, buying only what you need to reduce your food waste. You can also try to reuse leftovers in a new recipe or try composting your scraps if you have the space.
Food loss and waste means water waste. This must be minimised across the system by reducing supply chain inefficiencies, adopting a circular bioeconomy approach and increasing producer and consumer awareness. Companies need to improve storage and supply chain infrastructure (especially cold chain), improve date labeling and portion size data, and drive consumer behaviour change.
When food is lost, so are tonnes of water. Learn how to increase income and reduce consumer prices by tackling post-harvest crop losses. By harvesting at the right time, improving storage, drying, and harnessing data from forecasts and analytics, as well as technologies for pest resistance, farmers can help reduce food loss and in turn water loss.
Academia and researchers play an important role in taking food and water action. Research and data are key to a better understanding of the sustainable use of water, the risks to people, agriculture and the environment, and to monitoring progress.
Scientists have an important part to play in informing agriculture and water policies, advising government policy and decision-making processes and observing commitments made by governments and businesses. That includes sharing solution-driven data to make agrifood and aquatic food systems more sustainable, as well as the people who work along the various stages more resilient to water-related shocks.
Civil society plays a key role in pushing for new laws and in collaborating with governments to deliver on their commitments to address water concerns while ensuring that the most vulnerable are not left behind.
Contribute to the reduction of food waste. Wasted food means wasted water. Invest in food banks as they strengthen vulnerable communities, while also providing solutions to food waste and its impact on our environment. Food that is still fit for consumption that might otherwise be wasted, creating C02 emissions and increasing water and energy wastage, can help feed those in need.
[ UNEP | Champions 12.3 ] – SDG Target 12.3 on Food Loss and Waste: 2023 Progress Report is the eighth in an annual series of publications providing an assessment of the world’s progress toward achieving Sustainable Development Goal Target 12.3. SDG 12.3 aims to “by 2030, halve per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels and reduce food losses along production and supply chains, including post-harvest losses.” Prepared on behalf of Champions 12.3, this publication seeks to inform decision-makers in government, business, academia, and civil society about recent advances and what remaining steps need to be addressed if the world is to achieve the target.
[ EUFIC ] – EUFIC’s new food waste quiz is designed to help you evaluate your food waste practices and identify effective strategies tailored to your lifestyle that can minimise food waste. After taking this quiz, you will be equipped with practical, personalised tips, enabling you to contribute to a more sustainable diet, save on expenses, and reduce your chances of food poisoning.
[ FAO ] – We all have a part to play in saving food.
For many people in the world, food waste has become a habit: buying more food than we need at markets, letting fruits and vegetables spoil at home or taking larger portions than we can eat.
It’s up to us to change our habits to make not wasting food a way of life!
Here are some easy actions you can take to re-connect to food and what it stands for.
[ FAO ] – On average, a person wastes 74 kg of food each year, which amounts to 570 million tonnes. While the number is staggering, each of us can make a difference by taking small actions every day, by changing wasteful habits with new sustainable behaviour.
This booklet is aimed at general public to get people to realise about how their behaviour contributes to the global issue of food waste, to educate them about the negative impacts of it, to empower them to act differently throughout their evey-day lives and in different curcumstances: at home, while shopping, when eating out.