Each year, up to 37% of the world’s total carbon emissions come from food production, yet despite the enormous environmental cost, around one third of food goes to waste annually.

Reducing food waste is vital to cut carbon emissions and reduce the environmental impact of food production on land, water and other resources. It can also substantially strengthen our food security.

It’s simply not possible to achieve the Paris Agreement’s goal to stay within 1.5-2 degrees C of warming without tackling the food waste issue. Standards have a crucial role to play in reducing food loss and waste, and supporting the transition to a more sustainable food system.

The impact of food production on the planet

From agriculture through to manufacturing and distribution, retail, and the end user, food production places huge demands on the natural world. Reducing food waste is one of the most effective ways of reducing the environmental toll of food production.

With the global population now exceeding 8 billion, agriculture to support that population requires huge land and water use. Food production to feed both humans and animals now uses 38% of the global land surface. Further agricultural expansion into new areas can lead to deforestation, which in turn releases stored carbon dioxide and reduces carbon storage capacity.

Farming processes are then responsible for 70% of freshwater withdrawals and 78% of ocean and freshwater pollution (largely through manure, fertilizer and pesticide runoffs). Livestock production alone (including manure and gastroenteric releases), accounts for 11.1% of global greenhouse gas emissions. 

The processing, packaging, transportation and storage process takes a further environmental toll through energy and water use, raw materials, and emissions associated with equipment and machinery. Much of this food packaging is plastic, and ends up polluting the natural world and killing wildlife.

Finally, rotting food (either on the farm or in landfill) releases methane into the atmosphere, which contributes to climate change.

How does food waste come about?

On farms, food waste can occur through inefficient machinery that leaves a portion of the harvest in the field.  Unpredictable or adverse weather can also impact harvests, while low market prices or higher base costs can reduce the economic viability of harvesting.

In transit, waste can occur due to poor infrastructure that lengthens journeys and damages produce, or inappropriate conditions such as excess heat or humidity.

In food processing, food might be wasted by poor planning, outdated equipment, inefficient food handling and a lack of monitoring to pick up on problems fast. When food gets to stores and restaurants, bad planning and management can cause waste through overstocking and inadequate food handling processes.

A lot of food waste also occurs within the home. This might be due to poor planning so too much food is bought, or a lack of awareness about why food waste is important and how date labels should be interpreted. Inefficient cooking practices including storage and portioning can also contribute.

10 ideas that could make a difference to food waste

There is no one measure that will address food waste, but these initiatives could make a difference:

1.      Gleaning

Simply finding a home for unwanted food is part of the solution. This might involve letting community groups access leftover crops that are slightly past their best, or where market fluctuations reduce demand. The same principle applies to food waste from restaurants, shops and farms. Organizations like FareShare and Oddbox are helping to redistribute this food.

2.      Accepting imperfect produce

Huge volumes of produce are wasted because they don’t meet cosmetic criteria – the wrong size, bumpy or blemished. So-called ‘wonky’ product lines already provide imperfect produce at a lower price point, however further education is required to save more ‘imperfect' produce from landfill.

3.      More efficient machinery

Inefficient machinery causes waste on farms and in factories. Investment schemes (such as the Farming Equipment and Technology Fund in the UK), good maintenance and modern management practices can reduce waste occurring in this way.

4.      Invest in transport infrastructure

Bad roads increase food waste due to longer journeys and bruising – in hotter countries with a shortage of refrigerated trucks, this is a particular problem. Improved infrastructure could help, as well as processing facilities so food can be dried or packaged to preserve it.

5.      Redesign food packaging

Whilst food packaging is often a major source of plastic waste, it also plays a role in preventing food spoilage. Good packaging needs to balance plastic reduction with food protection to extend shelf life. Products being sold in a range of sizes can prevent waste in smaller households, while labelling about storage, cooking and freezing can ensure more food gets eaten.

6.      Improve forecasting

Food is produced to fulfill orders from customers, but if calculations change and an order is reduced, waste can occur at factory or farm level. AI-powered forecasting models can provide greater clarity about the quantities that suppliers will need to provide to retailers.

7.      Encourage meal planning

Around 70% of food waste in the UK occurs at a household level. Menu planning and using a shopping list can help consumers make healthy choices as well as avoiding food heading to the bin. Education about food storage can also prevent waste.

8.      Choose local produce

The further a product travels, the more chance there is of temperature variation or friction causing spoilage. Road miles also add to the carbon cost of food. Eating food that is produced locally and avoiding exotic or out-of-season produce can help reduce waste.

9.      Change how food is displayed

Supermarkets can predict how much produce they will sell, but often put more than this on display to create a sense of abundance. Changing customer expectations or using smaller display units may help to ensure that food isn’t put out for show only to be discarded.

10.  Scrap best before dates

Many UK supermarkets have scrapped best before dates from produce such as apples, potatoes and pears. Some products still have a use by date that confirms when a product might become unsafe to eat, rather than slightly less fresh.

Standards that can help to cut food waste

There are many standards that can support organizations looking to target food waste and the associated environmental cost:

• BS 8001 Circular economy a world-first standard supporting waste prevention, resource efficiency, eco-design and remanufacturing.

• BS EN ISO 9001 Quality management systems designed to help organizations continually monitor and find areas for improvement.

• PAS 2060 Carbon neutrality provides support to achieve and demonstrate carbon neutrality.

• BS EN ISO 14001 Environmental management systems providing guidance on how to reduce the impact of business procurement, storage, distribution, product development and manufacturing on the environment.

• PAS 440 Responsible Innovation can be implemented by organizations working in areas such as biotechnology, to address ways to use food waste innovatively to provide new food sources.

• BS ISO 14051 Environmental management. Material flow cost accounting provides a general framework for material flow cost accounting, which can in turn help identify opportunities to simultaneously generate financial benefits and reduce adverse environmental impacts.

• BS ISO 14046 Environmental management. Water footprint. Principles, requirements and guidelines specifies principles, requirements and guidelines related to water footprint assessment of products, processes and organizations based on life cycle assessment (LCA).

Reducing food waste doesn’t have a simple solution, and will rely on a concerted effort from field to fork. However, reducing waste by even a fraction will provide an important part of the fight against climate change. Standards can help to guide the way.

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