The Hidden Journey of Food Waste: From Farm to Landfill
Inefficiencies or a lack of consumer demand can lead to food waste that is no longer suitable for human consumption. Let’s explore how businesses handle such food waste, focusing on strategies and practices they employ to manage it effectively.
When we think about food waste, we typically imagine scraps and leftovers from our kitchens that end up in the trash. However, food waste—or food loss—can take on various forms earlier in the supply chain, many of which have potential for better use. It can include perfectly edible portions of crops left unharvested, "ugly" produce that doesn't meet aesthetic standards, food items packed into damaged or faulty packaging, edible bycatch—unintentionally caught marine species discarded overboard—or even surplus seasonal products, like egg-shaped candies after Easter.
Given these diverse forms of waste, how can businesses effectively reduce and repurpose them? By rethinking their processes and finding innovative solutions, companies can minimize waste and transform it into valuable resources.
5 Ways Businesses Manage Food Waste
In recent years, many researchers and policymakers have developed food waste management models based on the ‘reduce-reuse-recycle’ philosophy. The ‘food waste hierarchy’ model ranks different ways of managing food waste and is widely used by businesses in Europe as a decision-making tool.
1. Prevention of Food Waste
Avoiding food waste should be the primary focus for all businesses involved in the food supply chain. As highlighted by Papargyropoulou et al. (2014) in *“The food waste hierarchy as a framework for the management of food surplus and food waste, prevention is the most sustainable approach to managing food waste. This can be achieved through strategies such as preventing overproduction, implementing the "first in, first out" method (where products nearing their expiry date are prioritized for sale), and enhancing the efficiency of supply chains and logistics.
2. Re-use of Food Waste
Whenever total waste prevention is not possible, businesses are advised to redistribute their surplus food to food charities or those in need. This food ‘waste’ is still safe for consumption and should be of fairly good quality, but it cannot be sold through retail channels due to cosmetic imperfections (‘ugly foods’) or faulty packaging.
3. Recycle Food Waste
If food is deemed unsuitable for redistribution due to quality issues, it is repurposed as animal feed for creatures within the food supply chain—whenever legally permissible. For example, stale or unappetizing bread (that has not yet molded) can be converted into feed for pigs. This ensures that the food remains part of the food supply chain and fulfills at least some of its original intended purpose. If the food is unsafe or unsuitable even for animal consumption, it can be transformed into compost at either industrial or community-level facilities.
Although compost is not directly a part of the food chain, it can still be used to grow new food.Read How Pigs Can Help Reduce Food Waste.
4. Recovery Through Energy
Some food, however, might not be suitable for composting. This could be due to its chemical composition, or biological or chemical contamination. At this stage, food can be converted into energy through anaerobic digestion, where microorganisms transform the waste to create biofuel such as biogas .
5. Disposal of Food Waste (Landfill)
If none of the previous four options are viable, food waste should only be sent to the landfill or broken down without recovering energy.
How Food Waste Management Looks In Practice
Although the food waste hierarchy seems like a simple decision-making tool, it is not always easy for businesses to adhere to. For example, a supermarket might be reluctant to donate surplus food to charity, as this could draw attention to inefficiencies in its supply chain. Additionally, the cost of hiring staff to manage the logistics of food donations might cut into overall profits, acting as another deterrent. Strict food safety regulations can also pose challenges, sometimes preventing businesses from donating surplus food or converting it into animal feed. In some cases, regulatory restrictions prohibit certain foods from re-entering the food chain due to potential biosecurity risks.
Conflicting Policies
Two policy areas may inadvertently compete with one another, creating unintended challenges. For instance, when governments offer attractive subsidies to encourage biofuel production, businesses may prioritize this option over other recommended food waste management strategies, even though converting food waste into biofuel is lower on the food waste hierarchy. This occurs because the financial incentives provided by subsidies can steer businesses away from more sustainable choices.
To ensure that businesses can opt for the most sustainable food waste management solutions without facing negative consequences, different policy areas—such as food safety, agriculture, fisheries, bioenergy, and waste management—must align and collaborate. This cooperation is essential to prevent conflicts or competition between policies.
Additionally, food industry interest groups and governments need to reach a consensus on issues like food donation and charity, particularly when food safety considerations are involved. By doing so, they can create a cohesive framework that supports both sustainability goals and safe practices in food waste management.
What’s More Sustainable?
The food waste hierarchy offers a broad framework for understanding the sustainability of different reclaiming or disposal methods, but businesses can also determine the optimal food waste management strategy through environmental impact assessments, such as life cycle assessments (LCA). For example, if a warehouse with surplus cookies is situated hundreds of kilometers from a food charity but only a few kilometers from an animal feed factory, converting the cookies into animal feed may prove more sustainable than donating them.
Deciding between sustainable food waste management options can be complex, especially for businesses that must balance ethical considerations with economic viability. Conducting a cost-benefit analysis can assist companies in identifying the most economically feasible and environmentally friendly approach to managing food waste and surplus, including reuse strategies.
As outlined by Papargyropoulou et al. (2014) in *“The food waste hierarchy as a framework for the management of food surplus and food waste,”* prevention remains the most sustainable option. In line with this, the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 12.3 aims to reduce global food waste by 50% by 2030. To achieve this target, both food businesses and consumers must recognize food surplus and waste streams as valuable resources that should not be discarded irresponsibly. Looking ahead, advancements in technology and policy are expected to simplify the process of selecting the most sustainable food waste management solutions. In the meantime, businesses are progressively moving toward a greener, more circular economy by integrating food waste prevention into their core operations.
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