End Food Waste Australia welcomes the recommendations for nation-wide food waste action in the report by the Senate Select Committee on Supermarket Prices. These recommendations include data-labelling reform, product specification review, and transparent food waste reporting.
In response to these recommendations, End Food Waste Australia is rallying support for urgent measures to combat Australia’s staggering food waste crises.
Chief executive officer of End Food Waste Australia, Dr Steven Lapidge, underscored the severity of the food waste crises, stating, “Food waste costs Australia $36.6 billion a year. Annually 7.6 million tonnes of food is wasted – the equivalent of throwing away 29 million meals a day, enough to provide lunch to every Australian on a daily basis.”
The Senate inquiry highlighted the significant impact of business practices on food waste in the upstream supply chain, shedding light on the need for immediate action.
End Food Waste Australia has already initiated several programs to tackle food waste, including a National Date Labelling and Food Storage Advice research project.
Dr Lapidge highlighted the importance of addressing confusion surrounding date labels and storage advice, revealing that only 51 per cent of Australian households understand the meaning of both use-by and best-before dates.
The organisation has unveiled a plan, the Horticulture Sector Food Waste Action Plan, aimed at reducing fresh produce waste from farm to retail. This plan aligns with the inquiry’s recommendation for a comprehensive review of product specifications to minimise wastage across the supply chain.
End Food Waste Australia also leads the Australian Food Pact, a voluntary agreement fostering collaboration among food businesses to reduce waste. The Australian Food Pact includes the framework for measuring, reducing, and reporting food waste.
“Through the Australian Food Pact, retailers are actively building their capability to report food waste volumes and better understand the root causes of food waste and the most effective approaches to reducing it,” says Dr Lapidge.
Dr Lapidge stressed the significance of accurate measurement and reporting in identifying and addressing the root causes of food waste.
While applauding these initiatives, Dr Lapidge emphasised the ongoing need for support and investment from industry and governments alike.
“Tackling Australia’s 7.6 million tonnes of food waste each year requires systemic change and whole of government and food system support,” he said.
End Food Waste Australia partners with more than 100 organisations and has research and programs to drive industry action to support the inquiry recommendations to accelerate food waste reduction.
Collaboration and investment from all stakeholders are deemed essential to achieve meaningful progress in curbing food waste, alleviating food insecurity, and fostering a more sustainable food industry.
End Food Waste Australia calls for continued support and collaboration to successfully implement reforms and ultimately reduce food waste, mitigate cost of living pressures, and ensure a sustainable future for all Australians.
