The EU Platform on Food Losses and Waste of the European Commission has just published a report on the voluntary agreements in place in 15 European states to reduce food losses and waste. (1)
SDG 12.3: “By 2030, halve per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels and reduce food losses along production and supply chains, including post-harvest losses”. Below is a review of the initiatives registered in the EU and UK.
EU Platform on Food Losses and Waste
The European platform on food losses and waste was established by the European Commission in 2016 to identify useful solutions to reduce “food loss and waste” (FLW), which is in line with the objectives of the strategy Farm to Fork. (2) Public and private sector actors participate in the platform and its five sub-working groups that publish relevant recommendations, divided as follows:
- Action & implementation to help various sector organizations (public/private) and actors in the food supply chain to identify and implement effective food waste prevention initiatives and facilitate the adoption of best practices
- Date marking and food waste prevention, to improve the use of date marking by actors in the food supply chain and its understanding by consumers
- Food donation, to share good practices, information and teachings related to recovery and redistribution of excess food, in line with the waste hierarchy and various national and EU regulations
- Food loss and waste monitoring, to provide identify tools for measuring and monitoring food losses and waste, also through a Community of Practice
- Consumer food waste prevention aims to prevent and reduce consumer food waste. Households generate more than half of the total food waste in the EU (53%, or over 31 million tonnes).
A) Voluntary agreements
Action & implementation, the first subgroup of the European platform, highlighted the importance of voluntary agreements as defined in the REFRESH project (4). The report in question, therefore, illustrates the agreements communicated by the members of the platform according to the following scheme:
- description of voluntary agreement
- impact (results, studies, guides, best practice tools)
- key lessons.
A.1) Austria
In Austria, the Federal Ministry for Climate Action and the Environment has entered into a voluntary agreement with food distributors for 2017-2030, following up on a previous agreement reached in 2011. The aim is to halve ‘avoidable’ food waste by 2030 and collect the related data.
In 2023, the federal government introduced the Waste Management Act, which requires all supply chain operators to provide quarterly reports on the quantities of donated food and food waste.
A hub digital food will soon be organized, with the active participation of over 100 partners (eg producers, distributors, educators, competent authorities), to facilitate the logistics and distribution of food intended for food donations.
A.2) Croatia
In Croatia the agreement Together against food waste aspires to reduce food waste by 30% within five years. The initiative is open to all social partners interested in cooperating and proposing useful solutions to prevent and reduce food waste.
A special group of work made up of independent third parties and ministerial employees collects data and verifies the agreement’s implementation levels through the publication of annual reports (starting from 2025), which may provide ideas for possible regulatory reforms.
A.3) Denmark
One/Third — a Danish think tank working for the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries promoted the agreement Denmark against Food Waste in 2019, in which 34 members currently participate, to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals in the UN Agenda 2030.
A third party collects data provided by participants, harmonized according to the FLW Standard and the common EU method for measuring and reporting. (5)
Data is collected in an annual progress report on preventing and reducing waste.
A.4) Finland
In Finland, “The material efficiency commitment,” a joint commitment established in 2019 and renewed until 2026, plans to reduce the environmental impacts related to the production, distribution, and consumption of food through the reduction of food losses and waste, the reduction of packaging and related waste, and the increase in recycling.
Each sector defines the materials to be measured, the objectives to be achieved, and the methods to be used. Thus, for example, industry only deals with overall food waste, while distribution distinguishes total food waste and its edible parts. The Motiva coordinator collects and processes the data and publishes it periodically using good practices and national statistics.
A.5) France
The national pact against food waste was drawn up by the Ministry of Agriculture in 2013 and renewed in 2017, with the aim of halving food waste in distribution and catering by 2025 and in other sectors by 2030. 60 members participated in the event, starting from food distribution giants.
The operators can apply specific regulations to prevent and reduce food loss and waste and undergo third-party audits to obtain official recognition of their commitments, which can be placed on the labels of their products (national anti-gaspillage alimentaire label).
A.6) Germany
In Germany, the Federal Ministry for Food and Agriculture signed a ten-year agreement in 2021 with eight associations representing hotel and catering managers. The aim is to reduce food waste by 30% by 2025 and 50% by 2030.
A centre of competence supports participants on the actions to be undertaken and the reporting, which must include some essential data (number of guests, quantity of food used and food waste).
A.7) Greece
The alliance for reducing food waste was launched in Athens in 2020 by the non-profit organization Boroume. Since 2012, Boroume has been carrying out communication and awareness-raising activities to prevent waste at the consumer level. This is also thanks to the contributions of the experts on the EU Platform on Food Losses and Waste and the REFRESH project.
The alliance in Greece includes around 80 members in all food supply chain sectors. The coordination promotes the objective, defined by national legislation, of reducing food waste by 30% at distribution and consumption levels. Therefore, it collects data, publishes annual reports, and collaborates with competent authorities and policymakers.
A.8) Hungary
In Hungary, the Ministry of Agriculture and the National Food Bank established the Food is Value Forum in 2014, which now includes 57 members. The forum aims to measure and reduce food waste, raise awareness, and involve stakeholders.
Il forum organizes conferences regularly to update and share good practices, particularly recommendations developed in various EU research projects (e.g., FUSIONS, STREFOWA, REFRESH, LIFE-FOODWASTEPREV).
A.9) Ireland
In Ireland, the Environmental Protection Agency established the Food Waste Charter in 2017. Today, five main retailers represent 70% of the domestic food market.
The agreement is integrated with the National Food Waste Prevention Roadmap—which includes the objective of halving food waste by 2030—and the Stop Food Waste initiative, which is aimed at consumers.
Different subgroups work on the reference food categories (e.g., dairy products, bakery products, meat, fish) to better tailor the objectives to their specificities. They identify FLW (such as food losses and waste, where and why they are generated), how to reduce them, and how to measure them according to the common methods defined by the Environmental Protection Agency.
A.10) Luxembourg
Solidarity Pact is an unconventional agreement initiated by the Ministry of Agriculture in Luxembourg to reduce food waste by adopting a program that includes several measures, including guidelines and good practices, that can inspire local municipalities to define their own initiatives.
School canteens are among the main recipients. The aim is to identify the causes of food losses, develop adequate management plans, and identify performance indicators for monitoring the results achieved.
A.11) Holland
The Food Waste Free United Foundation was established in 2017 by the Dutch government with Wageningen University, the Dutch Nutrition Center, and 25 private companies (now 110 in 2023), thanks to the REFRESH project. The set goal is to prevent 1 million tons of food from potentially being wasted every year.
The management of the activities — the costs of which are shared 50% between the public and private sectors — is entrusted to a charitable institute, Food Waste Free United. Wageningen University collects and analyzes data provided by members based on mass flows identified through specific schemes developed for different food sectors.
A.12) Norway
The ForMat project started in 2012 and followed a five-year collaboration agreement signed in 2017 involving five ministries and 12 private organizations. Other interested social partners can join by committing to providing an annual report on data on food waste and the measures taken to reduce it.
The objective is to reduce FLW by 15% in 2020, 30% by 2025, and 50% by 2030 throughout the agri-food chain. The objectives refer to the edible fractions of foods to be evaluated in kg/per capita. To facilitate the collection of harmonized data, a common method has been developed based on a single definition of edible food waste (edible food waste).
A.13) Portugal
In Portugal, the National Commission for the Fight Against Food Waste defined an agreement in 2018 between various public institutions and the most representative organization of the retail trade, APED. The initiative is focused on preventing food waste at a commercial level and is summarized as follows:
- promotion of sales of expiring foods through a specific label of a different colour, highlighting the discount applied
- application of good practices, which include donating unsold but still safe food to charitable organizations
- communication plan to help consumers understand the difference between the Expiration date (‘use by’) and the minimum shelf life (‘best before’)
- measurement and reporting of the quantities of food sold and donated, the reduction of waste, and the number of shops participating in the initiative.
A.14) Sweden
SAMS (Swedish Voluntary Agreement for Reduction of Food Waste) was established in 2020 between three national authorities and the Swedish food industry. Its steering committee consists of representatives from both parties. At the end of 2022, approximately 35 members representing the entire food supply chain had been identified.
The main challenge is individuating harmonized methods and definitions through specific schemes and guidelines for annual data collection on food losses and waste by industry. This is because of comparing data collected from companies that use different measurement methods in various sectors.
A.15) United Kingdom
The agreement Courtauld Commitment 2030 aims to actively collaborate across the entire food supply chain in the UK to help reduce food waste (-50% by 2030), greenhouse gas emissions (-50% by 2030) and water stress ( 50% of food from areas with sustainable water management). On this basis, the voluntary agreement model defined by REFRESH was developed.
WRAP (Waste and Resources Action Programme) https://www.wrap.ngo/taking-action/food-drink coordinates the work, collects and processes data based on predefined benchmarks, using the data capture sheet adopted by the charitable institute as a measurement and monitoring standard on an annual basis for member industries and businesses.
B) FLW, other examples of collaboration
B.1) Estonia
In Estonia, the Ministry of Social Affairs has signed an agreement with the Estonian Food Bank to support poor people and reduce food waste. The ministry subsidizes the bank based on the quantities of food saved and redistributes, at least twice a month, to the people reported on a special list drawn up by the ministry.
The Food Bank of Estonia has, in turn, signed agreements with the main distribution chains, some important food industries, and food importers. According to specific guidelines of the Estonian Agriculture and Food Board, the charitable organisation manages collection and distribution and raises public awareness.
B.2) Slovenia
In Slovenia, eight interested social partners have signed an agreement to achieve the objectives of the national strategy for reducing food losses and waste (6).
Cooperation includes various activities to support the EU Platform on Food Losses and Waste, which aligns with SDG 12.3 and the objectives set out in the Farm to Fork strategy.
B.3) Stop Wasting Food Denmark and REMA 1000
The movement ‘Stop Wasting Food Denmark’ and the REMA 1000 distribution chain have been collaborating since 2008 to eliminate food waste, with the ambitious goal of ‘zero food waste’ by 2030.
REMA 1000 has undertaken, among other things, to eliminate offers for quantitative purchases (i.e. 3X2) and promote the sale of aesthetically ‘non-compliant’ products, as well as the donation of surpluses to charitable institutions, through the Free Food Platform (7)
B.4) International Food Waste Coalition
International Food Waste Coalition (IFWC) https://internationalfoodwastecoalition.org is a non-profit organization that includes large operators in the hospitality and food sectors, food service, other actors in the supply chain, and companies that are experts in problem-solving. The coalition developed a common method for collecting data on FLW that includes a standardized unit of measurement.
Innovation labs carry out targeted tests on challenges (e.g., consumer waste, sustainable labels, packaging) in various sectors, such as food service and the frozen food industry. The data collected by member companies are published annually.
C) Key lessons
The voluntary agreements presented in the report have achieved tangible results in reducing food waste and promoting sustainable practices at all stages of the food supply chain, albeit in different ways. Their effectiveness is closely linked to each country’s legal and political framework, cultural norms, and socio-economic factors.
No shortage has been reported; however, the report reveals the absence of standardized measurement and monitoring standards at the European and/or international levels. Hence, the complexity of extracting relevant and comparable statistical data allows for measuring the actual extent of FLW and the effectiveness of the various initiatives. Below are the key lessons in summary.
C.1) Greater involvement of interested parties
Assign priorities. Stakeholder engagement and collaboration, through inclusive dialogue and cooperation, are key to promoting collective action on FLW.
Need to identify shared objectives, align strategies and implement effective solutions to address food losses and waste at every stage of the supply chain.
C.2) Investments in data monitoring and analysis
Monitoring systems Robust data analysis capabilities (such as those sought to be developed in the EU #wasteless research project) are essential to accurately track food waste metrics and inform decision-making based on reliable data.
Investing in data infrastructures and technologies (e.g., blockchain) facilitates transparent data sharing and stakeholder collaboration. Collecting and analyzing hard data is key to identifying trends, measuring progress, and identifying opportunities for improvement.
C.3) Long-term financing commitments
Sustainable financing is important for developing and implementing food waste reduction initiatives. Securing long-term funding commitments is essential to supporting voluntary agreements and other waste reduction efforts.
Public funding plays a significant role in ensuring financial resilience and sustainability over time, although companies’ financial commitment is fundamental to accelerating the pace of action.
C.4) Clear roles and responsibilities for interested parties
Public authorities can lead the agreements, but also, according to the European Commission, leading industrial partners or other stakeholders. This includes third parties and independent organizations, sometimes founded to coordinate these programs.
Governance is useful in any case to clarify the roles and responsibilities of stakeholders, streamline decision-making processes, minimize duplication of effort, and ensure accountability of all actors involved in agreements.
C.5) Innovation, best practices and scalability
The promotion of innovation and the dissemination of best practices to reduce food waste have priority value. Research, pilot projects and knowledge-sharing platforms must be supported to encourage the adoption of innovative solutions across the entire food value chain.
According to the Commission, the scalability of the initiatives is also important to encourage the development of new business models capable of attracting private sector investments. As we have seen, the profitable ‘anti-waste’ apps still maintain a ‘social’ component.
C.6) Political support
The commitments undertaken by national and local institutions with civil society organizations and the private sector should finally stimulate politics to promote initiatives to support voluntary agreements.
Tax benefits and bureaucracy, adds the writer, should reward virtuous operators in the reduction and reporting of FLW, as well as in donations to charitable bodies.
D) Provisional conclusions
The collaborative nature of voluntary agreements is considered their main strength in Brussels. The examples given in the report show how this approach (soft law) and the ability to involve stakeholders from ‘farm to fork‘ foster a culture of innovation and enable the development of flexible, tailor-made solutions suited to specific circumstances.
The success of voluntary agreements is based on several key elements, including the assumption of responsibility, the definition of commitments, the sharing of knowledge, and public-private collaboration. Raising public and business awareness of food waste’s social, economic, and environmental impacts is key to stimulating the adoption of sustainable practices.
Dario Dongo and Andrea Adelmo Della Penna
Footnotes
(1) European Commission, Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety (2024). Reducing food loss and waste – Examples of voluntary agreements and other forms of collaborations across Europe – Deliverable of the EU platform on food losses and food waste. Publications Office of the European Union, https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2875/212278
(3) Recommendations for Action in Food Waste PreventionDeveloped by the EU Platform on Food Losses and Food Waste. 12.12.19. https://food.ec.europa.eu/document/download/7143f94e-600f-4df5-acef-5b332e7e44ec_en?filename=fs_eu-actions_action_platform_key-rcmnd_en.pdf
(4) I. Voluntary Agreements are defined by REFRESH as ‘Self-determined commitments or covenants with qualitative and quantitative objectives, developed by private entities and/or other interested parties in consultation with their signatories. They are used as alternative courses of action to traditional legislation, can be pioneered by government officials, businesses or other actors and can be used additionally independently of existing legislation.’
(5) The methodologies are reported in FLW Standard of the FLW Protocol, and in Delegated Decision (EU) 2019/1597 and Implementing Decision (EU) 2019/2000.
(6) The interested parties are the Chamber of Agriculture and Forestry of Slovenia, Union of Cooperatives of Slovenia, Chamber of Commerce of Slovenia, Chamber of Agricultural and Food Enterprises, Chamber of Crafts of Slovenia, Chamber of Tourism and Hospitality of Slovenia, Consumers Association of Slovenia and Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food.
(7) See https://www.gratismad.dk/
Dario Dongo, lawyer and journalist, PhD in international food law, founder of WIISE (FARE - GIFT - Food Times) and Égalité.
Graduated in Food Technologies and Biotechnologies, qualified food technologist, he follows the research and development area. With particular regard to European research projects (in Horizon 2020, PRIMA) where the FARE division of WIISE Srl, a benefit company, participates.
