Food Waste Intelligence

[Note: Please see here for advice on reducing food waste during a COVID-19 shut down.] Sunday, March 22, is World Water Day, an annual observance organized by the United Nations. We all know the importance of food in our daily lives – and at no time is that more important than in the virus-impacted world of today when our food supplies are being unexpectedly disrupted. So it is fitting that at this point in time we also reflect on our most precious natural resource – water – which makes the growth of our food possible.

In 2019, Leanpath launched the Leanpath 12.3 Initiative, an effort to expand the reach of food waste prevention knowledge and tools to non-profits and educational organizations. As part of the Initiative, we’re excited to report on a research partnership we've joined entitled, “Food Waste and the Environment” sponsored by SESYNC – The National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center.

While overall food waste fell in the UK by an average 7 percent per person between 2015 and 2018, food waste in foodservice and hospitality rose 7 percent.

The new year is a time when we reflect on lessons learned and set new goals with renewed energy and focus. These themes seem particularly relevant as we enter 2020 – the beginning of a decade of action for hitting the UN Sustainable Development Goals – and, specifically, for hitting Target 12.3, that audacious goal of cutting global food waste in half by 2030. A goal that, if achieved, will directly benefit many of the other 16 Sustainable Development Goals due to the central nature of food in our lives and the many linkages between f...

In order to meet the UN goal of reducing food waste by 50% by 2030 we need to accelerate adoption of food waste measurement and behavior change around the world. That means understanding the fears and concerns of companies that have the largest potential impact and responding to them with expertise. The Food Loss & Waste Protocol released a conversational whitepaper identifying top objections to measuring food waste with recommendations on how to move the conversation forward. Here is a summary of the top objections to measuring food ...