Food waste, as we know, is a critical nexus issue, because food is so central to our lives, and because the food system impacts so many other global systems (energy, transport, and health to name just a few).
So when we reduce (and optimally prevent) food waste, we simultaneously drive reduction in environmental and social costs in multiple areas.
Many in the food waste space often highlight the emissions impact of wasted food, which accounts for 8-10% of global GHGs, as well as the fact that food waste results in extensive water waste, land degradation, deforestation, ocean pollution, and biodiversity loss.
In addition, we correctly recognize the disconnect between excessive food waste and excessive hunger, which is nonsensical. Globally, UNEP’s 2024 Food Waste Index report notes that more than one billion tonnes of food are wasted annually (with 28% emanating from foodservice), while at the household level we waste the equivalent of more than one billion meals per day. This despite the fact roughly 700 million citizens faced hunger in 2024 (about 8% of the global population).
But when we consider the hunger dimension, it is important to go a level deeper and reflect on the lost nutrition aspect of food waste, which currently does not receive sufficient attention.
Early in our journey at Leanpath we spoke of food waste as the elephant in the kitchen, excessive but unaddressed, and often hiding in plain sight.
And when we reflect more deeply on the consequences of food waste in foodservice operations, we can make the same “elephant-sized” parallel to the embedded nutrient loss in that waste.
To start, the World Resources Institute notes that 24% of the world’s calories go uneaten due to food loss and waste, using a land mass greater than the size of China.
Today, with rising rates of diet-related illness coupled with rising food costs, keeping good nutrition “in” the system is more important than ever. Insufficient nutrition from fruits, vegetables, and quality protein sources deprives individuals of the ability to lead healthy lives.
A seminal paper from researchers at Johns Hopkins University in 2017 (Wasted Food, Wasted Nutrients: Nutrient Loss from Wasted Food in the United States and Comparison to Gaps in Dietary Intake) elevated the critical connection between wasted food and nutrient loss by quantifying the nutritional value of food at the retail and consumer levels. It is an excellent primer for thinking more deeply about the nutrient loss in wasted food in the foodservice sector as well, and the images that Leanpath trackers capture on a daily basis help to make that important connection.
One important finding of the paper was that perishable foods with high nutrient value such as fruits and vegetables are wasted at very high rates.
We find a similarly high level of waste of fruits and vegetables across our global platform at Leanpath as well. And while such waste represents a significant financial cost to our clients, it also represents a loss of high-quality calories – another powerful reason to focus on reducing overproduction, repurposing excess edible items into new dishes, and altering serving formats to reduce waste.
As Leanpath’s Global Program Manager and Registered Dietitian Amanda Lownes reminds us, "Wasting food doesn't just deplete our resources; it deepens our global nutrition inequities. Wasted food means wasted nourishment. When one in eleven people worldwide are hungry, keeping wholesome food in the system becomes both a moral and nutritional imperative."
Our UK-based chef Ben Murphy adds:
“As a busy chef, it is far too easy to get caught in the hamster wheel of day-to-day food preparation, production, and service. Chefs are often too busy to get any time to reflect on the impact of food waste. Sometimes the only reflection time we get is on that late and tired journey home. On many such occasions, particularly when passing through areas lacking in resources, I have been struck by the importance of our daily work to prevent food waste in kitchens and maximize the value of excess edible food resources. Such moments remind me that we need to step back and reflect on all of the costs of wasted food, including the lost nutrients, as often as possible. Doing so makes it personal and helps us to maintain our focus on food waste reduction.”
Significantly reducing food waste in foodservice operations is a triple win, reducing financial, environmental, and social costs. And as we know, significantly reducing food loss and waste is a strong pillar in the EAT-Lancet Commission’s framework for achieving healthy, sustainable, and just food systems for all.
“The images captured by our tracking process are incredibly powerful,” notes Steven Finn, Leanpath’s VP of Sustainability & Public Affairs, “when you see images of meat, chicken, salads, vegetables, and fruit going to waste at the end of a shift, and you consider all of the resources going into them coupled with the lost nutrition aspect, wasted food suddenly becomes very personal – and that’s a strong motivator for change.”
Interested in going deeper in your food waste journey? Reach out to us at Leanpath.