Food loss and waste represent both a critical global challenge and a significant opportunity for change. According to the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), nearly one-fifth of all food intended for consumers is wasted annually, equating to 1.05 billion tonnes in 2022 alone. Addressing this issue is vital for sustainability, food security, and economic efficiency.
DNV's Food Loss and Waste ViewPoint explores how food and beverage companies are tackling waste throughout their value chains. The findings paint a varied picture, highlighting both progress and challenges in addressing this critical issue.
While six out of ten companies recognise food loss and waste as a problem impacting the food chain, less than 25% of businesses surveyed currently view food loss and waste as a high priority on their corporate agenda. Nevertheless, there is strong awareness of the potential for improvement: half of the respondents believe a considerable share of food waste can be avoided.
Our survey findings indicates that companies in the earlier stages of their journey tend to focus on operational measures. While more mature companies take a more holistic view, integrating food loss and waste reduction into their wider sustainability efforts.
Only 20% of companies redirect more than 10% of their food waste into alternative uses, while fewer than half have formal systems in place to effectively manage food loss and waste. Lack of awareness, insufficient education, and balancing food safety with waste reduction are cited as the main barriers to implementation. Food loss and waste arise at various points along the value chain, with no single root cause standing out. This distribution underscores the complexity of the issue, requiring a multi-faceted approach to effectively address and reduce waste across the food industry.
While most companies are taking action, in some form or another, a more structured and data-driven approach is required to achieve meaningful and lasting reductions. This ViewPoint report provides insights into how companies are progressing, the obstacles they face, and where the greatest opportunities lie for reducing food loss and waste within the food and beverage industry.
