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Food Loss and Waste: Some Guidance

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  • Ulrich Koester
  • Jens‐Peter Loy
  • Yanjun Ren

Abstract

Food loss and waste (FLW) has received worldwide attention, but many studies of the issue do not use explicit objectives or consistent definitions. It often appears that the reduction of FLW is the goal whatever the costs and risks involved. From an economic perspective, the central issue is efficient resource use. Since reducing FLW to zero is unlikely to be costless, it is unlikely to be efficient. Most studies focus on the volume of FLW measured in tonnes or in calories. It makes no economic sense to aggregate different products this way, in fact, the value of FLW needs to be compared with the costs of its reduction. We present three examples which illustrate such costs. Government regulations can cause significant FLW. Instead of targeting volume‐based reductions, governments should focus on reviewing regulations that affect the level of FLW, invest in research and development for more resource efficient technologies, and provide more accurate information on value‐based FLW and the costs and risks of its reduction. Moreover, governments could support private sector activities targeted to reducing food loss. The focus should not just be on reducing FLW, but on the more efficient use of scarce resources. Les pertes et gaspillages alimentaires (PGA) ont retenu l'attention du monde entier, mais de nombreuses études sur la question ne formulent pas d'objectifs explicites ou de définitions cohérentes. Il apparaît souvent que la réduction des PGA est le seul objectif quels que soient les coûts et les risques résultants. D'un point de vue économique, l'enjeu central est l'utilisation efficace des ressources. Étant donné qu'il est peu probable que l’élimination complète des PGA soit gratuite, il est peu probable qu'elle soit efficace. La plupart des études se concentrent sur le volume de PGA mesuré en tonnes ou en calories. Il ne fait aucun sens économique d'agréger différents produits de cette façon; en fait, il faut comparer la valeur des PGA et les coûts de sa réduction. Nous présentons trois exemples qui illustrent ces coûts. Les réglementations publiques peuvent entraîner d'importants PGA. Au lieu de cibler des réductions basées sur le volume, les pouvoirs publics devraient se concentrer sur la révision des réglementations qui affectent le niveau des PGA, investir dans la recherche et le développement de technologies plus économes en ressources et fournir des informations plus précises sur les PGA exprimés en valeur, et sur les coûts et risques de sa réduction. De plus, les pouvoirs publics pourraient soutenir les activités du secteur privé visant à réduire les pertes alimentaires. L'accent ne devrait pas seulement être mis sur la réduction des PGA, mais sur l'utilisation plus efficace des ressources rares. Lebensmittelverluste und ‐abfälle (food loss and waste, FLW) haben weltweit viel Beachtung gefunden. Allerdings enthalten zahlreiche Studien zu diesem Thema keine eindeutigen Ziele oder verwenden einheitliche Definitionen. Es hat oft den Anschein, dass die Reduzierung von FLW das alleinige Ziel ist, und zwar unabhängig von den Kosten und Risiken, die damit verbunden sind. Von einer ökonomischen Perspektive aus betrachtet ist aber die effiziente Nutzung von Ressourcen das zentrale Thema. Da eine vollständige Reduzierung der FLW wahrscheinlich nicht kostenlos umsetzbar ist, ist es ebenso unwahrscheinlich, dass sie effizient sein wird. Die meisten Untersuchungen konzentrieren sich auf die Menge der FLW, die in Tonnen oder Kalorien gemessen wird. Es ist aus ökonomischer Sicht allerdings nicht sinnvoll, verschiedene Produkte auf diese Art und Weise zu aggregieren, indem der Wert der FLW und die Kosten ihrer Reduzierung zusammengefasst werden. Wir stellen drei Beispiele vor, die diese Art von Kosten beleuchten. Staatliche Regulierungen können zu erheblichen Lebensmittelverlusten und ‐abfällen führen. Anstatt sich auf die Reduzierung der Mengen zu fixieren, sollten sich die Regierungen auf eine Überarbeitung der rechtlichen Bestimmungen konzentrieren, die sich auf die Höhe der FLW auswirken. Sie sollten außerdem in die Forschung und Entwicklung von ressourceneffizienteren Technologien investieren und genauere Informationen über den Wert von Lebensmittelverlusten und ‐abfällen sowie über die Kosten und Risiken ihrer Reduzierung bereitstellen. Darüber hinaus könnten die Regierungen Aktivitäten des privaten Sektors unterstützen, die darauf abzielen, Lebensmittelverluste zu verringern. Der Schwerpunkt sollte dabei nicht nur auf der Reduzierung der FLW liegen, sondern vor allem auf der effizienteren Nutzung der knappen Ressourcen.

Suggested Citation

  • Ulrich Koester & Jens‐Peter Loy & Yanjun Ren, 2020. "Food Loss and Waste: Some Guidance," EuroChoices, The Agricultural Economics Society, vol. 19(1), pages 17-21, April.
  • Handle: RePEc:bla:eurcho:v:19:y:2020:i:1:p:17-21
    DOI: 10.1111/1746-692X.12248
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Marc F. Bellemare & Metin Çakir & Hikaru Hanawa Peterson & Lindsey Novak & Jeta Rudi, 2017. "On the Measurement of Food Waste," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 99(5), pages 1148-1158.
    2. zu Ermgassen, Erasmus K.H.J. & Phalan, Ben & Green, Rhys E. & Balmford, Andrew, 2016. "Reducing the land use of EU pork production: where there’s swill, there’s a way," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 35-48.
    3. Koester, Ulrich, 2013. "Total and per capita value of food loss in the United States – Comments," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 63-64.
    4. Danyi Qi & Brian E Roe, 2016. "Household Food Waste: Multivariate Regression and Principal Components Analyses of Awareness and Attitudes among U.S. Consumers," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 11(7), pages 1-19, July.
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    1. Hermanussen, Henrike & Loy, Jens-Peter & Egamberdiev, Bekhzod, 2022. "Determinants of food waste from household food consumption: A case study from field survey in Germany," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 19(21), pages 1-22.
    2. Jun Igeta & Hiroki Nakamura, 2022. "Business Incentive to Reduce Food Losses in Japan," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(4), pages 1-19, February.
    3. Noelia S. Bedoya-Perales & Glenio Piran Dal’ Magro, 2021. "Quantification of Food Losses and Waste in Peru: A Mass Flow Analysis along the Food Supply Chain," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(5), pages 1-15, March.
    4. Koester, Ulrich & Galaktionova, Ekaterina, 2021. "FAO Food Loss Index methodology and policy implications," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 123(1), pages 1-7.

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