The Europe 2020 Strategy - A resource-efficient Europe calls for an increase in resource efficiency, to: "…find new ways to reduce inputs, minimise waste, improve management of resource stocks, change consumption patterns, optimise production processes, management and business methods, and improve logistics."
The Roadmap to a Resource-Efficient Europe follows up on this, and stresses that our natural resource base is being eroded by growing global demand, highlighting the food sector as priority area for taking action - calling for: "…incentives for healthier and more sustainable production and consumption of food and to halve the disposal of edible food waste in the EU by 2020."
The European Parliament also took initiatives as regards food waste.
The Roadmap states that the Commission will assess how best to limit waste throughout the food supply chain, and consider ways to lower the environmental impact of food production and consumption patterns, via a Communication on Sustainable Food.
To prepare for this Communication, a public consultation was held in autumn 2013 based on several questions, including on food waste. More than 600 responses were received, from entities in EU Member States, but also third countries, NGOs…
As the European Commission is currently analysing the results of this public consultation on Sustainability of the Food System in view of preparation of a future Communication on this subject, it is perhaps premature for us to comment in detail, at this stage, on the document. The questions raised in the public consultation – for instance how to define and measure food waste – will be further discussed in the forthcoming process relating to the Communication.
Generally speaking, the draft is comprehensive and outlines the main issues to be considered. The HLPE recommends that food waste prevention/reduction strategies require a holistic approach and integrated/co-ordinated action throughout the food supply chain. They argue that cost/benefit and impact analyses should be carried out taking into account economic costs/benefits, food security and sanitary concerns (both food safety and nutrition/health aspects) as well as environmental impact. Given the global nature of the food supply chain, sharing outcomes of such analyses as well as intervention strategies carried out in specific countries/markets would be beneficial to all.
However, it is not easy to catch the messages among all the information presented. It could be useful to present "summarizing tables" comparing the differences.
Besides that, some points should be revised. In particular:
- The importance of the urbanization process in developing countries is crucial. How the big distribution is developing there and how it is possible to maintain an acceptable FLW.
- The section on "impacts on access" in chapter 1.3.3 (page 22) deserves more attention. The reference to a WTO study on the correlation between unemployment and trade barriers seems to be too remote from the issue of food waste. How the WTO rules influence the FWL is a complex topic. Either it should be deeply analysed or incomplete references should be specified (e.g. exact linkage to food waste) or removed.
- Some examples (as the one presenting the cow milk production at page 25) seem not too appropriate. If we compare two production systems we must do it considering all the inputs/outputs, not only one (such as milk): if we take into consideration all these aspects the final assessment could be completely different.
- It could be worth to analyse the implications of reducing food losses for the whole global economic system. Would it be possible to significantly decrease food waste without considering what changes would be needed in our economic system based on producing always more? Physics obliging, more food production (more transformation of natural matter and energy in edible matter) implies more waste. There's certainly room for more efficiency, but to what actual extent (based on which postulates)?
- The comparison between FLW in industrialized and developing countries seems to be "stretched of" with the result of not being always clear. It would be easier to consider the food consumption/distribution habits: big distribution (which is well established also in some developing countries) versus small markets…
- On Q1 of the consultation, the draft could explain early on the waste prevention hierarchy which --whilst recognising the need to reduce food waste at each level of the pyramid -- does not consider the donation of food to people and the feeding of foods to animals as food waste per se. It seems that the document supports this view which could perhaps be stated more clearly.
- Section 3.8 of the document outlines food laws and policies put in place to prevent food losses and waste. With respect to the situation in the EU, this section can be further updated once the Communication on Sustainability of the Food System has been issued. The authors already state that further developments are ongoing in OECD and with respect to the FP7 research project FUSIONS whose results and outcomes will help inform developments in the EU.
- With respect to Q3, should the HLPE not already be aware of the dedicated section on DG SANCO's website regarding food waste, they may wish to refer to the "best practices" in food waste prevention/reduction, which can be found at the following link: http://ec.europa.eu/food/food/sustainability/good_practices_en.htm
European CommissionBelinda Bergamaschi