Friday Round-up (10/2/20): Key Industry Players Pledge to Reduce Food Waste
Every week FoodLogiQ will be aggregating the latest updates and resources for businesses navigating the changing food industry. Learn how the industry leaders are adapting to protect and feed consumers, while building resilience in the face of global crisis.
Numerous news outlets have been reporting on major food companies pledging to cut their food waste in half by 2030 as part of the 10x20x30 initiative. The aggressive goal has brought nearly 200 suppliers to the table, including Ahold Delhaize, Walmart, Kroger, Mondelez, Nestlé, PepsiCo and General Mills, according to the Food Dive.
The initiative aims to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions within the food industry, which food waste contributes to significantly. “According to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization, about 30 percent of the world’s food is unharvested or thrown away at various points in the supply chain. And all that loss is a big contributor to climate change, accounting for 8 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions,” the Washington Post reported in an article about the initiative.
Consumer demand for sustainability products has also been a major driver for food brands setting public transparency and sustainability goals. Nearly half of consumers are swayed by sustainability factors in purchasing behavior, and over 60% of consumers are influenced by whether or not they trust a brand, according to research by Nielsen. NYU has also published findings that sustainability marketed products are responsible for over half growth in the CPG space across categories.
Some companies are responding to consumer demand by setting broader sustainability goals across their supply chain. General Mills announced on September 21st, 2020 “a pledge to reduce absolute greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent across its full value chain – from farm to fork to landfill – over the next 10 years.” With major companies paving the way, new industry standards for sustainability and transparency will only continue to accelerate.
Ultimately, however, the food industry will need to evolve core data management practices to feasibility reduce food waste at scale, properly impact consumer behavior, as well as accurately track progress towards these ambitious goals. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine has published recommendations across marketing, data labeling and applying research and technology for reducing food waste. According to the organization, the report “recommends industry, consumers, and nonprofits all advocate for federal legislation to standardize date labeling on packaged food”. Such advancements will help triage food waste from the farm to fridge, an essential step in addressing the environmental impacts of the global food industry.
Resources
View FoodLogiQ's COVID-19 Food Industry Resource Center for industry-specific updates, resources and information on the coronavirus crisis. For supply chain traceability and risk mitigation guidance, see our general Resource Center.
Read more of the latest:
- Kroger Names New Head of Supply Chain | Progressive Grocer
- Innovation Meets Demand: Introducing Chick-fil-A Supply | Chick-fil-A
- Owen Klein, Head of Menu Development for CKE Restaurants, Parent of Carl's Jr. and Hardee's, Adjusts to Coronavirus Pandemic | Nation's Restaurant News
- Whole Foods, Amazon Relationship a 'Happy Marriage,' Says John Mackey | Winsight Grocery Business
- In a Year of Unprecedented Need, Tyson Foods Donates Record Amount of Protein | GlobeNewswire News Room
- Panera Bread Appoints Lauren Cody as Chief of Staff and Chief Customer Officer | Nation's Restaurant News
- Restaurants in Fight for Survival, House Panel is Involved | Nation's Restaurant News
- How Food Halls are Equipped to Weather COVID-19 | SmartBrief
- To Reduce Food Waste, Standardized Date Labeling, Behavior Change Campaign, and Marketing Changes Needed, Says New Report | The National Academies of Sciences Engineering Medicine
- U.S. to Research Transmission of COVID-19 in Beef Supply Chain | Insurance Journal
- Worried about More Shortages, Grocery Stores are Stockpiling Goods | CNN
- Report of the Advisory Forum Task Force on Data Collection and Data Modelling | EFSA
- Syndigo Acquires Attribytes: Strengthening Product Information Management for Foodservice | PR Newswire
- Your Food Safety Questions Answered | IFT
- COVID-19 devastated NYC restaurant industry, state comptroller’s report says | Restaurant Hospitality