FOOD WASTE DRIVERS
A major research work conducted by FUSIONS was aimed at identifying the main causes of food waste generation all along the food supply chain.
The causes of food waste generation are multiple, and the study enabled their classification: thirteen questionnaires were filled in by the FUSIONS’ experts, who brought to light 286 current causes of food waste. The analytical approach of the study was organised by a matrix combing the seven food supply chain segments (primary production; processing of agricultural staples; food processing and packaging; wholesale and logistics; retail and markets; food service; households) and three context categories:
- Category 1: Technology development (i.e. the Technological Context)
- Category 2: Food supply chain management, including business/economy and legislation/policies (i.e. the Institutional Context)
- Category 3: Consumers’ behaviours and lifestyles (i.e. the Social Context)
Context categories |
Grouping of identified drivers of current food waste causes |
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Technological |
Drivers inherent to characteristics of food, and of its production and consumption, where technologies have become limiting |
Drivers related to collateral effects of modern technologies |
Drivers related to suboptimal use of, and mistakes in the use of food processing technology and chain management |
Institutional (business management) |
Drivers not easily addressable by management solutions |
Drivers addressable at macro level |
Drivers addressable within the business units |
Institutional (legislation and policy) |
Agricultural policy and quality standards |
Food safety, consumer health, and animal welfare policies |
Waste policy, tax, and other legislation |
Social |
Drivers related to social dynamics which are not readily changeable |
Drivers related to individual behaviours which are not readily changeable |
Drivers related to individual behaviours modifiable through information and increased awareness |
On the basis of the 286 items classified by the FUSIONS team as current causes for food waste, the experts identified 105 drivers. Among them, 17 were imputable to primary production, 9 to processing of agricultural staples, 14 to food processing and packaging, 15 to wholesale and logistics, 18 to retail and markets, 13 to food services and 19 to households.
Food waste is a wide and multifaceted problem: considering the food supply chain as a whole enables to grasp the complexity of the issue. This methodological choice also gives us a glimpse of the interrelated nature of the determinants of food waste. It concludes on the possibility to act in a relatively short term and the necessity to design solutions which take into account the composite nature of the food supply chain.
The full report is available in the FUSIONS Publication section.