WASHINGTON — A global food waste standard has been created by a partnership of international organizations. The goal of the standard is to establish a consistent methodology for the measurement of the amount of food waste companies and other entities generate and benchmark the progress of reduction efforts.
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| Andrew Steer, president and c.e.o. of the World Resources Institute |
“This standard is a real breakthrough,” said Andrew Steer, president and chief executive officer of the World Resources Institute. “For the first time, armed with the standard, countries and companies will be able to quantify how much food is lost and wasted, where it occurs, and report on it in a highly credible and consistent manner. There’s simply no reason that so much food should be lost and wasted. Now, we have a powerful new tool that will help governments and businesses save money, protect resources and ensure more people get the food they need.”
The Food Loss and Waste Accounting and Reporting Standard provides requirements and guidance for quantifying and reporting on the weight of food and inedible parts that are removed from the food supply chain. The purpose of the standard is to encourage consistency and transparency, according to the group’s stakeholders that include The Consumer Goods Forum, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the European Union’s FUSIONS project, the United Nations Environment Programme, the World Resources Council for Sustainable Development, the Waste and Resources Action Programme and the World Resources Institute.
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| Peter Freedman, managing director of The Consumer Goods Forum |
“Food waste is a $940 billion problem,” said Peter Freedman, managing director of The Consumer Goods Forum, an organization representing some of the world’s largest retailers and consumer packaged goods companies. “In 2015, our members committed to halving food waste and we see the F.L.W. standard as an important tool to help us achieve this ambitious target. Our members need to effectively quantify, measure and report on their food loss and waste, and the F.L.W. standard will help them do this with consistency and transparency.”
Shortly after the establishment of the standard was announced, Nestle S.A., Vevey, Switzerland, announced its support for the effort.
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| Michiel Kernkamp, Nordic market head for Nestle |
“We clearly see this standard as a massive global step in fighting food loss and waste,” said Michiel Kernkamp, Nordic market head for Nestle. “The standard is outstanding in its setting of clear targets and in its full transparency. But maybe most of all it is outstanding as a tool where you can measure your steady progress within food loss and waste. What gets measured can be managed. At Nestle, we will definitely also benefit significantly by using the standard to help us address food loss and waste across the value chain.”
To learn more about the new F.L.W. standard, click here.
