Cutting Food Waste

Workshop: How to feed the world in 2050

Sustainable options for feeding a growing global population

Toine Timmermans, 4 December 2013

Food wastage: global & local

Grower Processor Carrier DC retailer Retailer +consumer

Key messages cutting food waste Public–private collaboration is the best way to approach a

complex societal issue: global food & nutrition security as main driver

By improved awareness and (social) innovation approach in most cases at least 20-25% reduction is possible

To establish a coherence of EU-policies is crucial (sustainable food consumption, food safety, bioenergy, waste directive)

Prevention of consumer food waste should have highest priority in policies

Solutions to improve the whole supply chain, based on closed loop supply chain paradigm have the highest improvement potential (out-of-the box & new alliances)

Sense of urgency is essential for real commitments !

Practical tips to reduce food wastage 3 instant tips for consumers: • Make a shopping list• Measure your pasta and rice before cooking• Eat your leftovers

Longer term effects:• Trust on your own senses, the best-before-date is

an indication, and products over best-before have no health risk

• Key message: communicate the value of food (in all dimensions: nutrition, pleasure, social, cultural, availability, accessibility, health, environmental, etc.)

20% less food wastage in 3 weeks

FUSIONS will enable, encourage, engage and support key actors across Europe in delivering a 50% reduction in food wastage and a 20% reduction in the food chains resource inputs by 2020.

FUSIONS Project objectives

Project duration: 48 months (2012 – 2016)www.eu-fusions.org

Project structure

Any food and inedible parts removed from the food supply chain

Food that has or had the potential to be eaten removed

from the food supply chain

Fraction that is or was intended to

be eaten by humans

Fraction with the potential to be

eaten by humans

Inedible fraction removed from the food supply chain

Fraction aimed to be used as a

resource in other value chains

Not used

Defining ”food”

Defining ”food supply

chain”

Defining fractions to

be monitored

Terminology

Food wastage

Harmonised definitional framework

Exchange: Multi stakeholder Platform

Adding value to existing (or to be established) transnational, national, regional, sectorial networks

Awareness is key !

To identify existing social innovation solutions that reduce waste

To test new social innovation ideas To evaluate their impact on reducing waste

Feasibility studies – Objectives

Quality of life: the hospitality sector

Goal measurement tool: objective assessment of the relation between the serving concept and the effects on sustainability & quality of life

Outcomes (‘Máx à la Carte’, Maxima Medisch Centrum, WageningenUR, 2010) : Food waste reduced to 2,5% (reference 26-60%) Appreciation quality of food increased (from 6 to 8)

Re-use food products from a supermarket

FoodBattle in action: start event

Thanks for your attention

toine.timmermans@wur.nl