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Search On September 29, 2023, the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste (IDAFLW), The Consumer Goods Forum’s (CGF) Food Waste Coalition of Action launched #TooGoodToWaste, a food loss and waste education campaign that aims to spur faster progress among CGF members and the millions of consumers they reach.
Food companies are asked to use the hashtag #TooGoodToWaste as they share their own campaigns engaging consumers with inspirational messaging, raising awareness of the food loss and waste problem, and providing tips and advice to inspire consumer behaviour change to reduce household food waste.
Members of the FWCOA Consumer Engagement working group — including Bel Group, Grupo Exito, Kerry, Majid Al Futtaim, Migros Ticaret A.Ş, Tesco, Unilever, and Walmart — were among those supporting the initiative.
“By using the hashtag #TooGoodToWaste as we share knowledge, tips and advice on reducing household food waste, our Coalition of Action adds our voices to others calling for a greater global community of action targeting and changing specific behaviors that waste precious food,” read a letter about the campaign signed on behalf of the COA by Co-Sponsors Max Koeune, President and CEO, McCain Foods, and Ken Murphy, Group Chief Executive, Tesco.
“The food waste challenge is a complex, shared, and global one – and so our approaches to tackling it must also be shared,” said Sharon Bligh, Director of Health and Sustainability. “This campaign is all about uniting members to gather practical insights that can drive faster collective progress. Every food company has a significant role to play in doing more to minimise food waste across their own operations, while also increasing consumer awareness and action.”
The CGF has also created an online resource hub — www.FoodIsTooGoodToWaste.com — for participating members to share resources and helpful information that can make a difference.
While a significant portion of food is lost along the food supply chain, a lot of food is wasted at the household level. Data from the UNEP shows that some 60% of food waste happens in peoples’ homes. Collective action from food companies, retailers, manufacturers and consumers is therefore vital to tackle the problem together.
According to the World Resources Institute (WRI), food loss and waste accounts for 8-10% percent of annual global greenhouse gas emissions — if food loss and waste were a country, it would be the third biggest emitter of greenhouse gases. Food loss and waste wastes 1/4 of fresh water used in agriculture every year.
Research by WRAP shows that while 81% of consumers are concerned about climate change, only 37% realise the connection with wasting food. CGF hopes that #TooGoodToWaste will empower consumers with practical tips that drives positive behaviour change, such as helping them feel good about using all the food in their fridge.
The fourth annual International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste will raise awareness of the scale of the challenge and promote collective action that will help deliver Sustainable Development Goal 12.3: to halve per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer level by 2030 and reduce overall losses in supply chains.
The International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste is an initiative led by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the United Nations Environment Programme.
The CGF Food Waste Coalition is led by 21 of the world’s major food companies, who are committed to halving food waste within their own operations by 2030 and who strive to reduce food waste in their supply chains and at the customer level.
Existing Food Waste Coalition initiatives include member commitments around measurement and reporting, taking practical steps to reduce food waste in their own operations and supply chains, and working collaboratively with other companies to innovate and help consumers reduce food waste.
To find out more about the CGF Food Waste Coalition, visit www.tcgffoodwaste.com.
