Sustainable Innovation in Times of Disruption: Choices for a Better Society
There are opportunities for progress all around us. The key is to innovate on these opportunities sustainably.
To help identify most effective path forward, you'll need to gain a global perspective to these challenges in an open discussion. How can Japan and the world take action to create a more sustainable, innovative world? Where do you fit in?
It's time to find out.
It’s estimated that up to 1.3 billion tons of food is wasted each year. That’s around a third of everything we produce—a truly staggering figure when we consider that food poverty is common in many developed nations and global hunger is on the rise.
Compounding the issue is the fact that food waste in these quantities is far from benign if not dealt with properly. Much of our waste ends up in landfill, and it is the single largest component of waste in the US, where it decomposes and releases greenhouse gasses such as CO2 and methane into the atmosphere. Added to this is 250km3 of water and 1.4 billion hectares of land that is used to produce food that ends up as waste, and the sheer amount of resources used for produce that ends up in the trash is shocking.
However, as we become increasingly aware of our environmental impact and the consequences of such wasteful habits, things are beginning to change. Today, the fight against food waste is gathering pace, and multiple avenues are opening up to allow us to increase efficiency and reduce waste at all stages of our existing systems—from production to consumption.
Sustainable Innovation in Times of Disruption: Choices for a Better Society
There are opportunities for progress all around us. The key is to innovate on these opportunities sustainably.
To help identify most effective path forward, you'll need to gain a global perspective to these challenges in an open discussion. How can Japan and the world take action to create a more sustainable, innovative world? Where do you fit in?
It's time to find out.
But how much will this make a difference? And can we build a future that eliminates food waste for good? Here, we look at how law and legislation are changing the way we see waste, how individuals can make a difference, and whether a future without food waste is a possibility for a planet that will demand increasing amounts of food as populations continue to grow.
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Changing Perceptions and Habits
In the US especially, perception and habit are big drivers of waste. Like in most developed nations, a significant portion of waste is generated at the consumer level, and whether that’s through overly conservative ‘use by’ dates on products or due to plate waste , the battle against preventable waste begins here.
There are two factors in particular that are key to preventing food waste at the consumer level: first, transparent and consistent date labelling on products that allows both retailers and consumers to better manage shelf stacking and meal planning; and second, increasing awareness of the dangers of habitual plate waste generated by over cooking/serving.
In answer to this first problem, the FDA is currently working together with partners and stakeholders to bring greater transparency to food labels, with the hope that standardized labelling will remove the guesswork for both retailers and consumers when it comes to shelf life and use by dates.
It is hoped that this will help consumers plan meals more easily and reduce over preparation when a fridge full of food needs to be used. In turn, an increased awareness of food waste through better meal management is also important to conserve produce and ensure it ends up in our stomachs and not our trashcans.
Food delivery boxes are one way this is being achieved, with a set of recipes allowing easier planning and management of food in both the kitchen and at the retail and distribution level. Additionally, the zero-waste movement is also making a difference by changing the way we see waste on a fundamental level, helping to promote unconventional uses for edible products while also increasing awareness around composting.
Donation for Now, Better Distribution for the Future
The facts don’t lie—the world has more than enough capacity to produce food for everyone’s needs, and what is required is a wholesale revaluation of our existing systems of food production, distribution, and consumption in order to make this happen. However, stemming the flood of waste now is also highly important, particularly when people are going hungry in even the richest nations.
Food donation is one way to achieve this, and whether from grocery stores, restaurants, or individual households, facilitating donations to those in need is a viable outlet for good food that would otherwise go to waste. But while the logistical and legislative issues surrounding donation have made it problematic in the past, steps are being taken to change this.
France, for instance, has banned grocery stores from throwing out edible food, forcing them to donate produce to charity or risk a hefty fine. Apps such as Food Rescue US and Food for All are also beginning to connect the dots between retailers, consumers, and food donors and charities. Finally, even the EPA is getting in on the act, pushing numerous initiatives including a 2030 Food Loss and Waste Reduction goal that aims to cut waste in half, in part, by increasing donations from all parts of society.
While food donation is admirable and an excellent way to relieve an inefficient system, attention must also be paid to reducing food waste on a systematic level—an extremely complex issue, with no one-size-fits-all approach. However, one area for optimism lies with new technology.
Technological advancements in RFID tracking and improved storage and distribution infrastructure are all seen as important factors in the future. Additionally, more efficient distribution between producers and consumers (farm-to-table, for example) may be achieved through greater connectivity in the digital space.
As with any large system, waste, to a certain degree is inevitable. However, much like the zero-waste concept striving to eliminate waste at all available junctures, the key to increasing efficiency and valuing resources is to redefine the very concept of “waste.”
Put simply, a future without food waste may not be entirely possible, however, a future without people going hungry is achievable through the right combination of awareness, forethought, and technology.
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