Major Food Retailers Join Supplier-Focused Effort to Slash Waste

Some of the world’s largest food retailers and their suppliers have signed onto a new World Resources Institute initiative combatting food waste. Participants agreed to cut their food loss and waste rates in half by 2030.

AEON, Ahold Delhaize, Ikea Food, Kroger, Metro Group, Pick n Pay, the Savola Group, Sodexo, Tesco, and Walmart became founding efforts of the initiative, called 10x20x30. It unites 10 major food retailers and providers to collaborate with 20 of their priority suppliers on the 2030 goal, WRI explained.

“This private sector commitment is designed to be a significant advancement toward the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal Target 12.3, which calls for a 50% reduction in food loss and waste by 2030 worldwide,” according to the organization.

The initiative helps retailers reduce in-store food loss and waste while supporting upstream suppliers on lowering their waste rates as well, said Laura Phillips, senior vice president of sustainability for Walmart. “Food loss and waste is a massive global challenge,” she said. “While addressing this challenge is a priority for us, 10x20x30 is built on the fact that no one company can address this challenge alone.”

Jessica Adelman, group vice president of corporate affairs and chief social impact officer at Kroger said that the new initiative aligns with their own internal effort, Zero Hunger Zero Waste. In May, Kroger reported diverting 76% of their waste in 2018. Awarding grants that fund solutions to preventing food waste and emphasizing food donation contributed to that rate, according to the company.

Leadership from Food Retailers Needed

Research from WRI and their partners demonstrated the need for leadership on food waste from the private sector. The report Reducing Food Loss and Waste outlined priority “to-dos” from food production through to consumption. WRI suggested the following formal to-dos for food retailers:

Operations-related:

• Improve training of staff in temperature management, product handling, and stock rotation
• Optimize inventory management systems — and increase flexibility in supplier contracts — to better match forecasting and ordering
• Review cosmetic specifications and accept a wider diversity of produce

Consumer-related:

• Enable consumers to purchase smaller or customized portions, like through bulk bins or staffed seafood and meat counters
• Adjust promotions to avoid excessive purchase of additional items, for example by offering half-off or mix-and-match deals rather than two-for-one offers
• Redesign in-store merchandising to avoid excessive handling of products by consumers, and to achieve the desired appearance of abundance but with less damage and excess product e.g. through smaller bins and bowls
• Educate consumers about better food management: proper storage, meal planning, understanding date labels, safe food handling, and cooking tips

“Real change requires a whole supply chain approach,” said Andrew Steer, president and CEO of WRI and a member of the coalition Champions 12.3. “Now we need more engagement from food companies in India, China, and Latin America.”