Food loss and waste

This entry examines food loss and waste (FLW) across the food supply chain, highlighting its significant social, environmental, and economic impacts. It reviews various methodologies used to study FLW, including quantitative approaches such as surveys, audits, and modelling techniques, and qualitative methods that explore behavioural drivers of food waste. The entry also analyses interventions aimed at reducing FLW, focusing on consumer behaviour change in the global North. These interventions are categorised into information-based strategies, technological solutions, and policy or systems-based approaches. Key examples include educational campaigns, changes in portion sizes, mobile applications, and surplus food redistribution initiatives. The entry emphasises the importance of combining different interventions for greater effectiveness and discusses the challenges posed by inconsistent data quantification and inadequate infrastructure for surplus food redistribution. Ultimately, it advocates for a systems-based approach that addresses both consumer behaviour and broader policy reforms to effectively tackle FLW.