Summary of topics and results
Across the EU, at least 5 million tonnes of food are lost post-harvest annually while a growing share of the population is unable to afford fruits and vegetables (Eurostat, 2022). This mismatch between supply and demand results in the waste of produce in parallel to worsening diets affecting the health of vulnerable groups. The expert panel analysed the different facets of the issue and shared best practices.
Moderated by Angela Frigo (European Food Banks Federation), the expert panel started out with Dr Felicitas Schneider (Thünen Institute) setting the scene, followed by a lively discussion with Chris Hill (FoodCloud), Eva Sali (Copa-Cogeca), and Adolfo Villafiorita (Shair.Tech) who shared insights from the perspective of food banks, the agricultural sector, and technology solution providers. In her closing remarks, Rosa Rolle (FAO) shed light on the important role of vitamin-rich produce in human nutrition, food security, and health as well as in achieving the UN SDGs.
Although there is no doubt that food loss must be prevented and the best destination for surplus produce is human consumption, the speakers outlined several challenges faced by the different stakeholders.
Primary production is characterised by uncertainties in demand, weather, and crop yield and can be further impacted by unfair trading practices and strict marketing standards leading to produce quantities being stuck at the farm stage. A lack of data, uniform definitions, and consistent measurement limit the possibility of identifying the actual quantity, type, and location of surplus food.
Moreover, logistics is a substantial challenge for farmers as well as food banks, i.e. the efficient harvest, packing, and redistribution of fresh, perishable produce while ensuring food safety at all times. These activities require considerable financial resources, workforce, and time. Growers as well as charities are often keen to rescue surplus produce but struggle to cover this additional resource expenditure.
Multifaceted approaches to tackling these hurdles were identified, including raising awareness, innovation, technology, and collaboration.
Acknowledging that surplus exists, understanding its reasons, scale, and scope, and framing it as an opportunity rather than a failure can be the first step to preventing food loss. Research and data collection efforts were viewed as essential. In that sense, technology, e.g. in the shape of web applications, is a promising solution, directly linking farmers, food banks, and local charities and thus facilitating the efficient redistribution of surplus. It can further be used to quantify the positive impact of food donation to reduce CO2 emissions and the waste of resources.
Besides supporting the harvest process, gleaning activities can foster problem awareness, reconnect to the origin of fresh produce, and increase the perceived value of fresh produce, be it flawless or of wonky appearance. Moreover, processing suboptimal but perfectly safe fruits and vegetables to increase their shelf lives or transforming by-products into ingredients are additional opportunities for value preservation.
The collaboration between supply chain players, food redistribution organisations as well as the public and private sectors is crucial in order to support these measures, prevent food loss, and exploit the joint societal, financial, and environmental benefits of redistributing surplus produce.