Tackling food waste means working together with all key players from the public and private sectors in order to better identify, measure, understand and find solutions to deal with food waste. There is not one single cause with one solution because the food chain is a complex and dynamic system. All actors in the food chain need to work together to find solutions, from farmers, processors, manufacturers and retailers through to consumers themselves. Policy makers, research scientists, food banks and other NGOs also play an important role.
In line with the integrated, holistic approach needed to tackle food waste without compromising food safety, the recommendations in this report address action required by public and private players at each stage of the food supply chain, including food redistribution. The recommendations also include a set of horizontal or ‘cross-cutting’ recommendations, which are common across various stages of the food value chain, often involve multiple actors and are needed to achieve the global food loss and waste targets (SDG Target 12.3). The recommendations for action will play a key role in helping to scale-up action across the EU, mobilising Member States, food businesses and civil society, as called for by the Farm to Fork Strategy.