How the World Can Cut Food Loss and Waste in Half

September 26, 2017

Today’s Guest Blog is by Brian Lipinski. It was originally posted on the World Resources Institute blog on Septem ber 20, 2017.

By now, you’ve probably heard about the world’s problem with food los s and waste. An estimated 1.3 billion metric tons of food go to waste each year, affecting our economy, our well-being and our environment. What you’ve probably heard less about is the progress being made in reducing food loss and waste, and what needs to happen in the future to address this problem.

That’s where the new SDG Target 12.3 on Food Loss and Waste: 2017 Progress Report, released by the Champions 12.3 coalition, comes in. It tracks the movement toward meeting SDG Target 12.3 and lays out a roadmap for what both companies and governments need to do to achieve that goal. Developed by a team of experts from WRI and the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), it’s the first comprehensive, time-bound roadmap we’re aware of that specifically addresses one of the 169 SDG Targets.

What is SDG Target 12.3?

Target 12.3 of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals calls on the world 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.

Our report tracks three steps:

Target: Targets set ambition, and ambition motivates action. That’s why we see target-setting as an important first step toward achieving big reductions in food loss and waste.
Measure: What gets measured gets managed. Once governments and companies know how much food is being lost or wasted and where it’s happening, they can formulate strategies for how to address it and monitor progress over time.
Act: Ultimately, action is what matters. The necessary strides will vary around the world and by sector, but everyone has a part to play.

Our roadmap shows the timeline for cutting food loss and waste in stages, with the first milestone, for a 5 percent reduction, in 2018. So how are governments and companies doing in each of these areas?

Target

Several large countries and regions have set targets in line with SDG Target 12.3. But those countries only represent 28 percent of the world’s population, and the 2018 milestone calls for countries representing 40 percent of the world’s population to have set targets. Other highly-populated countries, such as China and India, will need to set targets if the 2018 milestone is to be met.

Companies are more advanced on target-setting than governments, earning them a “green” assessment for this category. The new major corporate target set this year came from the Global Agri-business Alliance, which announced a Food and Agricultural Product Loss Resolution this week. With the adoption of this resolution, 60 percent of the world’s largest food companies now have a food loss and waste reduction target, meeting the 2018 milestone a year early.

Measure

When it comes to measurement, governments aren’t measuring up. The countries that measure and report on food loss and waste within their borders only represent about 7 percent of the world’s population. Regional blocs such as the EU, African Union and APEC have large roles to play in motivating their members to measure. Measurements should be conducted in conformance with the Food Loss and Waste Accounting and Reporting Standard (FLW Standard).

Companies are doing better than governments on measurement, but not by much. Only a handful of the world’s largest food companies are currently measuring and publicly reporting on their food loss and waste. And as with governments, they should use the FLW Standard as they conduct those measurements and report their results.

Act

When it comes to action, there’s plenty by governments, especially in the EU, the U.S. and Japan. Globally, a number of public-private partnerships and consumer campaigns also address food loss and waste. But these efforts are far from comprehensive, and fall short of the 2018 milestone of 5 percent loss reduction. In the coming year, scaling up the financing of food loss and waste reduction efforts will be especially important.

Companies are again somewhat ahead of the curve when it comes to action: Campbell Soup Company, Kellogg Company, Nestlé, Sodexo, Tesco, Unilever and Walmart all have active food loss and waste reduction programs. On top of that, many are working with their upstream suppliers on food loss and waste reduction efforts. Many more companies will need to follow their lead to stay on track for 2030.

Overall Progress

Overall, the 2018 milestone is a 5 percent reduction in global food loss and waste. Although lots of great work is happening in the Target and Act categories, without good measurement we can’t know how much of that reduction (if any) is being achieved. As more countries start to conduct national food loss and waste inventories, a global picture should begin to emerge.

2030 feels like a long time from now. But if we really want to cut food loss and waste in half in just 13 years, all governments, companies, farmers and individuals must begin to address the issue head on.

This roadmap should help us all do just that―and will keep us honest about our progress along the way.

Brian Lipinski is an Associate in the WRI Food Program, working on both the World Resources Report: Creating a Sustainable Food Future and the Food Loss and Waste Protocol. The World Resources Institute (WRI) organizes their work around six critical goals that the organization believes the world must achieve this decade in order to secure a sustainable future: Climate; Energy; Food; Forests; Water; and, Sustainable Cities.

Disclaimer: Guest blogs represent the opinion of the writers and may not reflect the policy or position of the Northeast Recycling Council, Inc.

< Older Post

Newer Post >

Maryland webinar gives tips on countering misinformation

By Antoinette Smith • April 1, 2025

In recent years, the recycling industry has seen negative media coverage that has not only perpetuated myths but also contributed to public mistrust of collection and recycling – and ultimately could be contributing to lower collection rates. To help counteract the misinformation, the Maryland Recycling Network presented a March 27 webinar featuring Gretchen Carey, president at MassRecycle, and Chaz Miller of Miller Recycling Associates. Misinformation about recycling was merely “background noise” to Carey until October 2022, when Greenpeace published a scathing report about the failings of plastic recycling. Soon NPR and The Boston Globe picked up the story and compounded the issue with statements like “not even plastic water bottles are recyclable,” Carey said, calling this “a patent lie.” Carey and her colleagues were “crushed,” but after overcoming her initial anger, she reached out to NPR and the Globe to rebut the story. She also tried to get other local publications to publish her written response to the negative coverage but was rebuffed. Seeing that these efforts weren’t going far, MassRecycle invited members of the media and the general public on MRF tours at several sites in Massachusetts and Connecticut. Providing real-time evidence of recycling infrastructure helped industry outsiders step out of the echo chamber and hear a contrasting perspective, Carey said in the webinar. “You can talk the game, but them seeing for themselves is the important part,” she explained. During the tours, the public attendees learned that throwing away recyclables deprives the community of valuable commodities, she said, and that state guidelines restrict what can be put in the landfill. Carey added that the tours brought home the message by explaining that recycled materials need a consistent end market to justify collection and processing. For example, Ardagh closed its glass bottling facility in Massachusetts in 2018. The closure eliminated a key end market for recycled glass and caused collector Strategic Materials to stop taking local recovered glass. Local MRFs subsequently lost that revenue stream. When residents don’t trust recycling infrastructure, they put fewer items in their curbside bins, and ultimately paper, metals and glass wind up as collateral damage, Miller said. So it’s vital to make sure the public knows where their recyclables and that end markets exist to use these materials. Read the full article.

City of Laurel

By Sophie Leone • March 26, 2025

The City of Laurel, Maryland, established in 1870, has a deep and rich history within the state. Its long-standing independence and stability have fostered a strong sense of community, providing residents with valuable resources and support. Laurel is deeply committed to sustainability, embedding green initiatives into its core values, creating a Sustainability Division and completing the City’s first Sustainability Plan as one of many ways to support a sustainable Laurel community. The city’s mission is guided by four foundational pillars: People, Planet, Prosperity, Peace and Partnership. Laurel defines sustainability as “meeting the environmental, social, and economic needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.” Residents can engage with their community in numerous ways, including joining local clubs, participating in municipal committees, and taking part in community surveys. The city also hosts in-person events such as parades, farmers markets, and sustainability initiatives, further strengthening community bonds. To make waste management, recycling and organics recycling more accessible, Laurel provides detailed information on its dedicated Green Living Resource page found on the City’s website and partners with Recycle Coach, an app that helps residents easily access tailored information on residential collections, recycling and organics recycling. The Recycle Coach app also notifies residents of changes to their service days and special sustainability events. The City of Laurel continues to lead by example in sustainability and community engagement. As environmentalist Wendell Berry once said, “The Earth is what we all have in common.” Laurel’s dedication to green living ensures that future generations will inherit a thriving, sustainable community. NERC is thrilled to welcome the City of Laurel to our growing list of municipality members. We look forward to working with them to help advance our collective missions in safeguarding the planet. For more information on the City of Laurel visit.