What is food waste?

What is food waste? Food waste is a global issue that refers to the loss of food throughout the food supply chain, from production to final consumption. It is a complex challenge with negative economic, social and environmental impacts, ranging from the loss of natural resources and greenhouse gas emissions to the exacerbation of food insecurity and social inequality.

What is food waste?

Food waste, also known as food waste or food loss, refers to the loss of food along the food supply chain, from production to consumption. This can occur at various stages of the process, including agricultural production, handling, storage, transport, distribution and final consumption.

Types of food waste

There are two main types of food waste:

1. Food waste in agricultural production and upstream stages: this includes the loss of food during harvesting, sorting and initial storage on farms and other agricultural facilities. Factors such as unfavourable weather conditions, pests, crop diseases and inadequate management practices can contribute to this type of waste.
2. Food waste further down the supply and consumption chain: This includes food loss at distribution, retail, households and other points of consumption. Often, this type of waste occurs due to overproduction, poor inventory management, lack of market demand, expired expiry dates, or simply because food is not consumed in time.

Food waste has serious economic, social and environmental consequences. Economically, it means losses for producers and the food industry. Socially, it means that food that could have fed hungry people is not used effectively. Environmentally, it contributes to the inefficient use of natural resources such as land, water and energy, as well as to the emission of greenhouse gases due to the decomposition of food in landfills.

To tackle food waste, it is important to promote more sustainable practices in food production, distribution and consumption, as well as to promote awareness and education on the importance of reducing waste and making the best use of available food.

How to combat it?

Combating food waste is key to promoting sustainability, reducing pressure on natural resources and tackling hunger and food insecurity. Here are several strategies and actions that can help combat food waste:

• Awareness and education:
  – Raise awareness about food waste and its consequences through awareness campaigns in the media, social media, schools and communities.
  – Educate people on how to store, prepare and consume food efficiently to reduce waste.
• Planning and responsible purchasing:
  – Plan meals and make shopping lists to purchase only what is necessary.
  – Buy food in bulk or in adequate quantities to avoid excesses that may end up in waste.
• Total food utilisation:
  – Use all edible parts of fruit, vegetables, meat and fish, even those that are traditionally discarded, such as peels and bones for broths or composting.
  – Reuse leftovers in new culinary preparations to avoid waste.
• Improve inventory management:
  – In food industry and distribution, implement effective inventory management systems to reduce overproduction and losses from expired products.

More ways to fight it…

• Donate food:
  – Encourage the donation of unsold but still safe and safe-to-eat food to local charities, food banks and soup kitchens.
• Recycling and composting:
  – Promote the segregation of food waste and its recycling or composting for later use as compost for crops.
• Collaboration and partnerships:
  – Encourage collaboration between producers, distributors, retailers, charities and governments to jointly address food waste.
• Policy and regulation:
  – Implement government policies that incentivise food waste reduction, such as setting targets and goals to reduce waste throughout the supply chain.
• Technology and mobile applications:
  – Develop mobile apps and technology tools to help better track and manage food in households, restaurants and shops, as well as share information on food donations.
• Supply chain optimisation:
  – Improve logistics and supply chain management to ensure efficient delivery of food to consumers, reducing food loss during transport and storage.

The combination of these strategies and the active participation of society in their implementation can make a significant difference in reducing food waste and promoting a more sustainable and efficient food supply chain.

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Who wastes?

Households:
Households are one of the biggest generators of food waste. This can be due to a variety of reasons, such as over-buying food, lack of meal planning, mismanagement of leftovers and misinterpretation of use-by dates.

Restaurants and food service:
The food service industry, including restaurants, cafeterias and similar establishments, also contributes significantly to food waste. This can occur during food preparation, storage, cooking and serving. In addition, factors such as fluctuations in demand and variability in portion sizes can contribute to wastage.

Retail outlets and supermarkets:
Supermarkets and retail shops often discard food that has not been sold but is still fit for consumption due to inventory policies, quality standards or approaching expiry dates. This can include fresh produce, bread, packaged goods and other foods.

Food industry:
The food industry also generates waste during food production, processing and distribution. This can be due to quality problems, overproduction, changes in market demand, storage and transport problems, among others.

It is important to keep in mind that food waste is a complex problem involving multiple stakeholders and originating at different stages of the supply chain.