The Business of Reducing Food Waste

By: David Fikes, Vice President, Consumer/Community Affairs and Communication, Food Marketing Institute

The more daunting the journey, the more important it is to make the first step as easy as possible or else the allure of procrastination becomes impossible to resist. 

Recently, USDA and EPA established a goal of reducing food waste in the United States by 50 percent over the next 15 years. That is a worthy goal because of the enormous economic, social and environmental benefits achieving it would accrue.  It is also a bold and ambitious goal because reaching it will involve every U.S. citizen.  Reducing food waste by half by 2030 will require colossal operational changes and managerial efforts in every link on the supply side of the food chain.  It will also necessitate that consumers make substantial behavioral changes on the demand side of the equation.  The road to food waste reduction will be a daunting trek, but a critical one – best begun by taking successful small steps.

The Food Waste Reduction Alliance – lead by the Food Marketing Institute (FMI), the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) and the National Restaurant Association (NRA) is seeking to make these initial steps as timely and as easy as possible for the food industry. 

FWRA has recently released a new tool to help with the business of reducing food waste.  The second annual FWRA Best Practices and Emerging Solutions guide highlights ways companies can begin, expand or enhance their food donation or food waste diversion programs. With success-proven case studies from grocery stores, food manufacturers, and restaurant and foodservice operators, this guide can help food retailers keep food out of landfills, and to reduce food waste at the source.