Global initiatives moving the food waste dial

The National Food Waste Summit on 24-25 July, is Australia’s biggest gathering dedicated to food waste action for people and the planet. The program will feature international experts sharing global food waste perspectives.

The Summit lineup will feature international speakers including Toine Timmermans, director at Netherlands’ Samen Tegen Voedselverspilling (Food Waste Free United); Jolanda Dings, experienced sustainability director of Lamb Weston EMEA, international on-farm food waste measurement expert Dr Lisa Johnson, and renowned food waste advocate Dana Gunders from ReFED in the US.

What can we learn from successful and dedicated contributors to the food waste movement from around the world?  Toine Timmermans shares some of the latest global developments and scope for potential changes and opportunities in Australia.

On the feasibility of the legally binding EU food waste reduction targets, Timmermans shared, "The European Parliament’s proposed food waste targets are ambitious but feasible, if we take a systemic and collaborative multi-stakeholder approach – I would urge EU policymakers to back these 40% targets and to raise the extremely low targets for manufacturing in line with other sectors.

“[In the EU] a 50 per cent reduction in total food waste is within reach for both the retail and food service sectors, with a more strategic approach drawing on policies like state-of-the-art forecasting algorithms, quality driven replenishment systems, and markdown policies.”

Timmermans, who also leads a food waste consumer behaviour change campaigns in the Netherlands, highlights the slight difference between consumers, “At household level, a 40 per cent reduction in food waste would be highly ambitious but feasible – reductions can be accelerated through changes in retailer and producer policies such as offering smaller portion sizes and packages, and communicating more clearly about food preservation and best-before dates on packaging.”

In the manufacturing sector, Timmermans said, “Multiple Dutch manufacturers have shown that 50 per cent reductions are also possible, and the target should certainly be set far higher than 10 per cent – a target this low won’t give incentives to the sector to speed up actions and is a missed huge opportunity.

“Excluding the primary sector in the scope for the binding targets is a huge omission, as it is important to have an integrated, whole system approach – so it is essential that we start to measure unharvested food waste from this sector and review in future, including this sector within reduction targets.”

These sentiments are reflected in Australia’s goals towards halving food waste by 2030 and key solutions will be discussed at the Summit as international developments, goals and perspectives have a large impact on tackling food waste in Australia across all facets of industry.

Join in the discussion and hear about the latest challenges and innovations overseas and in Australia at the National Food Waste Summit. 

Facilitated by End Food Waste Australia, this is the largest End Food Waste Convention in the Southern Hemisphere. Can’t travel? The whole summit is available online as well as in person, as we believe everyone should be able to attend, regardless of geographic location. 

Tickets are selling fast. Don’t miss out, secure your tickets to attend the summit now!

Use code ‘NFWSEOFY’ to get $200 off your ticket!