Food System

Tackling food loss and waste in Europe: EEA report

April 28, 2025

The European Environment Agency (EEA) has published its 2025 biennial report ‘Preventing waste in Europe: Progress and challenges, with a focus on food waste‘ assessing waste trends across Europe, with a particular focus on food loss and waste prevention.

This analysis examines the current state of food loss and waste management, measurement challenges, and policy approaches across EU-27 member states.

The report reveals that food loss and waste (FLW) remains a critical issue, with households being the largest contributors, and highlights both progress and ongoing challenges in tracking and preventing it throughout the supply chain.

Table of Contents

Introduction: the scale of the food loss and waste (FLW) problem

Under the Waste Framework Directive (WFD) 2008/98/EC (amended in 2018), the European Environment Agency (EEA) is mandated to assess progress in waste prevention across the EU. A key priority is tackling food loss and waste (FLW), which averages 132 kg per capita annually—with households contributing 55–56% of this total. However, inconsistent reporting by Member States complicates accurate monitoring, underscoring the need for stronger policy alignment.

FLW is not just a waste management issue but a systemic challenge. It accounts for 16% of the EU food system’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and exacerbates biodiversity loss by driving unnecessary resource extraction and land use. As the EEA highlights, reducing FLW can curb emissions while preserving ecosystems degraded by agricultural expansion. Yet current policies- such as recycling targets that incentivize diverting edible food to biogas- often conflict with higher-tier waste hierarchy goals, revealing critical gaps in coherence.

Current state of food loss and waste in Europe

Food loss and waste distribution across the supply chain reveals where interventions are most urgently needed: this reflects the European Environment Agency’s current perspective, based on still approximate and evolving data.

Supply chain stage Waste per capita (2022) Percentage of total
Households 70 kg 55%
Food processing and manufacturing 24 kg 19%
Restaurants and food services 15 kg 11%
Primary production 10 kg 8%
Retail and distribution 10 kg 8%

Measurement challenges

The first mandatory reporting cycle revealed significant methodological inconsistencies across member states to EEA:

in 2020, 87% of datasets used in-depth measurement methods;
this dropped to 65% in 2021;
methods varied widely across supply chain stages;
only two countries applied consistent methodology throughout all stages.

Data quality issues are particularly evident in:

primary production. High error rates (~30%) due to low sampling and scaling challenges;
households. Significant uncertainty due to home composting, packaging waste, and inconsistent sampling;
restaurants and food services. Classification difficulties and representation problems.

In 2024, Eurostat introduced a revised reporting template featuring standardised metadata categories, marking a step forward in improving data quality and coherence. Nonetheless, substantial methodological challenges remain:

persistent inconsistencies in measurement approaches significantly limit the comparability of food loss and waste (FLW) data across Member States and over time;
in the absence of harmonised measurement protocols, it is difficult to establish the true scale of FLW, monitor temporal trends, or assess the effectiveness of policy interventions;
further efforts and investment at EU level are required to harmonise measurement methodologies while accounting for the specificities of different sectors.

EU targets for FLW: ambition vs. implementation

The provisional agreement on the targeted revision of the Waste Framework Directive (WFD) foresees ambitious binding targets for 2030:

10% food loss reduction in processing and manufacturing;
30% food waste reduction per capita at retail and consumer levels.

These targets reflect the ambitions of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12.3 to halve food loss and waste by 2030. Nonetheless, without stringent monitoring, mandatory enforcement at the Member State level, and demonstrable progress, there is a significant risk that these ambitions will remain unmet:

‘EU Member States are required to evaluate their waste prevention programs every six years, yet this process is often inconsistent or lacks transparency‘ (EEA, 2025).

National Waste Prevention Programs

Analysis of national Waste Prevention Programs (WPPs) reveals that EU member states predominantly rely on soft policy instruments – with the recent, notable exception of Spain – for food loss and waste prevention:

66% of actions focus on prevention at source;
26% target food donation or redistribution;
7% cover waste treatment (e.g., biogas);
1% address animal feed use.

‘Of a total of 1,037 waste prevention measures identified in the EU-27 Member States′ WPPs and categorised according to WFD Article 9(1), 46% implied the deployment of voluntary instruments and agreements while 35% represented informational instruments‘ (EEA, 2025).

The EU’s over-reliance on voluntary measures undermines its FLW prevention strategy. While awareness campaigns play a role, their effectiveness remains constrained without binding targets, fiscal incentives, or regulatory backstops. Notably, the lack of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes for FLW exempts food producers and retailers from accountability, perpetuating systemic inaction.

The food use hierarchy

The EU has evolved from a ‘food waste hierarchy’ to a more comprehensive ‘food use hierarchy‘ that prioritises actions with the greatest environmental and social benefits:

prevention at source;
redistribution for human consumption;
animal feed;
industrial uses;
composting;
energy recovery;
disposal.

From this writer’s perspective, a critical flaw persists in the EU’s food use hierarchy, which prioritizes animal feed over industrial upcycling (e.g., foods, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics). This ranking appears economically and environmentally questionable:

upcycling food side-streams into high-value food-grade, medical, or cosmetic ingredients -such as those developed in the EcoeFISHent research project, in which our WIISE team participates – yields greater circularity benefits than downcycling into feed, by retaining higher functional and economic value within the bioeconomy.
however, the current hierarchy seems rooted in outdated assumptions, potentially stifling innovation in the bioeconomy and undermining the objectives of the EU Circular Economy Action Plan.

Prevention, and inconsistencies

Prevention, positioned at the top of the food use hierarchy, means ‘measures taken before a substance, material or product has become waste that reduce:

the quantity of waste, including through the re-use of products or the extension of the life span of products;
the adverse impacts of the generated waste on the environment and human health; or
the content of harmful substances in materials and products‘ (WFD Directive 2008/98/EC).

Despite this clear prioritization, the EU’s current policy framework suffers from contradictions in its lower tiers, which risk undermining food loss and waste prevention efforts. Implementation remains inconsistent across member states, with certain policy misalignments favoring lower-tier options over prevention.

For instance, while animal feed is controversially ranked above food upcycling (see previous section) recycling targets and energy incentives may unintentionally divert edible food to biogas production—rather than prioritizing human consumption or animal feed—due to a lack of specific safeguards.

These inconsistencies must be resolved, from the writer’s perspective, to ensure policy coherence across waste management, climate action, and food security goals.

Connecting food loss and waste to broader environmental objectives

Despite the clear links between food loss and waste and environmental challenges, few countries integrate FLW prevention into broader climate or biodiversity strategies:

most countries have food loss and waste in waste management plans (24 member states);
only 15 have separate food loss and waste legislation or strategies;
just two countries mention food loss and waste in biodiversity strategies.

This siloed approach limits the potential environmental benefits of food loss and waste prevention, which could deliver up to 20% biodiversity benefits by 2050 according to scenario projections. Treating food waste mainly as a waste issue overlooks its environmental, climate, and biodiversity impact.

Voluntary reporting

Beyond mandatory reporting, 13 countries submitted voluntary data in 2020, covering additional aspects of food loss and waste:

edible versus non-edible waste (50%);
food donations (26%);
food used for animal feed (15%);
former foodstuffs (5%);
food waste in wastewater (4%).

This additional data provides valuable insights for policy development but remains inconsistently reported across member states.

The WASTELESS initiative: a promising approach

The WASTELESS research project, in Horizon Europe, offers a comprehensive framework for addressing food loss and waste measurement and prevention challenges by:

strengthening national-level tracking methods;
promoting integration of food loss and waste into climate and biodiversity strategies;
facilitating cross-country knowledge exchange;
addressing critical data gaps;
promoting a reasonable application of the food use hierarchy.

As part of this initiative, our WIISE team leads Work Package 2 (WP2): ‘Optimised Tools and Methodologies for Food Loss and Waste Quantification’, where we develop innovative solutions to measure and monitor FLW across the EU.

Recommendations for improving food loss and waste prevention

To strengthen food loss and waste prevention efforts across Europe, EEA recommends the following actions.

For policymakers:

diversify policy instruments. Balance soft tools with economic incentives and regulatory measures;
integrate across policy domains. Explicitly include food loss and waste in climate and biodiversity strategies;
align incentives. Resolve contradictions between waste, energy, and food policies;
mandate evaluation. Require impact assessment of food loss and waste prevention measures.

For data collection and reporting:

standardise methodologies. Develop consistent measurement protocols for each supply chain stage;
build capacity. Support countries with limited resources in applying in-depth methods;
expand voluntary reporting. Standardise and encourage reporting on edible/non-edible waste, donations, and animal feed;
develop indicators. Create meaningful national indicators that reflect both results and implementation processes.

For stakeholders:

cross-sector collaboration. Promote partnerships between food industry, retailers, and waste managers;
knowledge exchange: Share best practices through EU platforms and networks, as proposed by the Wasteless https://www.foodtimes.eu/research-en/wasteless-eu-research-project-on-circular-economy-and-blockchain/ research project;
consumer engagement. Develop targeted interventions addressing household food loss and waste behaviours.

Conclusion: accelerating progress

The EU has made significant strides in establishing systems to measure and prevent food loss and waste (FLW), but challenges remain in measurement consistency, policy coherence, and stakeholder engagement. Meeting the ambitious 2030 targets will require stronger integration of food loss and waste prevention into broader environmental strategies, more diverse policy instruments, and improved data collection methodologies.

By addressing these challenges, Europe can transform FLW from an environmental burden into an opportunity for simultaneous progress on climate, biodiversity, and resource efficiency goals. The transition to a more sustainable food system demands nothing less than a comprehensive, coordinated approach that prioritises prevention and promotes innovation for the use of all food resources.

Dario Dongo

References

European Environment Agency. (2025). ‘Preventing waste in Europe: Progress and challenges, with a focus on food waste’ (EEA Report 02/2025). https://www.eea.europa.eu/en/analysis/publications/preventing-waste-in-europe-progress-and-challenges-with-a-focus-on-food-waste/th-01-25-004-en-n-preventing-waste-report_final.pdf/
De Laurentiis, V., et al. (2024). ‘Setting the scene for an EU initiative on food waste reduction targets: Outcomes of consultation activities and analysis of efforts on food waste reduction’. JRC Technical Report. Publications Office, Luxembourg. https://dx.doi.org/10.2760/13859
European Topic Centre on Circular Economy and Resource Use (ETC CE). (2025). ‘Ambitions towards food waste prevention in the EU-27 Member States: A review of 2023 country information’. https://tinyurl.com/ph5ww37v
Eurostat. (2024). ‘Food waste and food waste prevention by NACE Rev. 2 activity — tonnes of fresh mass’. https://tinyurl.com/j4s55rua
European Commission. ‘Waste framework directive’. https://tinyurl.com/5k25tuux
SDG Target 12.3 on Food Loss and Waste. https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal12