Chris Franke, Senior Manager of Global Sustainability at Walmart, and Janelle Myers, Chief Sustainability Officer at Keranova, shared their collective thoughts on the urgency and action to reduce food waste.
Currently, around a third of the food produced each year is wasted. These 1.3 billion tonnes of food waste account for 8% of total global emissions, and eliminating food waste could have a significant impact on minimizing climate change. At the same time, his 10% of the world’s population cannot eat enough.
Most food companies and retailers have food waste reduction programs. The question is how to drive the scale and pace of change we urgently need.
The United Nations Environment Program estimates that 13% of food is wasted during farming, production, and transportation. “Combined action by food companies, retailers, farmers, and manufacturers is essential to address the problem together,” the editorial said.
Food manufacturers and retailers are at the heart of the food value chain and positioned to lead global efforts to reduce food waste.
The main way Walmart avoids food waste in its business operations is by increasing food sell-through. The company has enhanced its forecasting and ordering tools to improve inventory flow, adjusted store supplies to increase product turnover, strengthened its distribution centers, and offered discounts on foods nearing expiration dates.
From April 2021 to March 2022, Walmart stores and clubs in the U.S. sold more than 190 million food items through discount programs. Additionally, when food isn’t purchased, Walmart employees work to make the most of it by delivering it to the people and places that need it.
At Keranova, we believe that in order to advance sustainable and equitable access to food and deliver on the Better Days Promise, which aims to help 4 billion people live a better life by the end of 2030, we need to reduce food waste. It is extremely important to minimize the In manufacturing, Keranova maximizes the transformation of raw materials into finished products. Products – contributing to a “significant” reduction in waste. The company also has partnerships to feed people facing food insecurity through food donations, and its predecessor, The Kellogg Company, has since 2015 reached 252 million people facing food insecurity. He says he has provided food for everyone.
The question for all food businesses is how to leverage technology and human intelligence to better devise ways to sell more of what is produced. Following his solid plan, he consists of three actions.
Establish a baseline of exactly how much food is being wasted and set specific goals. Assess the scale of the problem and quantify your response.
Collaborate with partners across the value chain to develop waste reduction initiatives in priority areas. For example, we work with suppliers to identify and address specific points of food waste and help pilot innovations to eliminate them.
By deploying new technologies and practices that have been successfully tested, we create an enabling environment for lasting change.
The food industry needs to come together to develop and implement this plan. To ensure the level of change needed, organizations must be transparent, share learnings, and adopt best practices.
Consumer Goods Forum’s Food Waste Action Coalition brings together 21 of the world’s largest retailers and manufacturers, including both Keranova and Walmart, as well as Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Unilever, to reduce global food waste. doing.
Food companies and retailers cannot drive the necessary changes without encouraging more consumers around the world to prevent food waste. All food companies need to use their range to drive larger changes in consumer behavior, from clarifying date labels to tips on reusing leftovers.
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