Tesco is set to take its advocacy for other businesses to tackle food loss and waste to the global stage, ahead of the COP30 climate summit in November.
Tesco has, reported the redistribution of 300,000 meals through partners including Fareshare (pictured). Food waste is a climate issue because it is estimated to contribute to at least 8% of annual global emissions – more than aviation.
WRAP (The Waste & Resources Action Programme) is notably advocating for national governments to include tangible plans to measure and reduce food loss and waste as part of their contributions to the Paris Agreement. Of the 195 countries that attended the last UN climate summit, only 12 had taken this step.
In the UK, as is the case in many developed nations, the majority of food waste occurs within homes (60%). However, there are still ample further opportunities to reduce the amount of surplus and food loss at the farm level, and to increase efficiencies and redistribution in retail and manufacturing.
Future-fit food systems
WRAP highlighted that reframing food waste through the lens of food security will be necessary in the months ahead, with the need to reset the global food system as the population grows and the climate changes.
One-third of what we produce goes to waste every year while millions go hungry. We need a fair and sustainable system to protect these fragile networks from future disruptions and to make the most of the food we have, for all.
Food security will become a priority for governments as the real impacts of climate change bite harder in the coming years, and tackling waste is a key step they must take. WRAP and Tesco are taking a stand to call out inaction, and demand more from those who fail to act.
Tesco was one of the first retailers globally to report on food waste on a voluntary basis. It also led the way in asking suppliers to adopt the Target-Measure-Act approach to food waste reduction.
The company was a founding member of the UK Food and Drink Pact, managed by WRAP. This Pact was founded to help businesses align their food waste targets and strategies with the UN’s global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The UK Government still has not mandated food waste disclosures for large businesses despite the advocacy and leadership of some supermarkets, like Tesco, plus widespread support for the change, first promised in 2018.
WRAP is aiming for 50 new businesses to join its food pacts and agreements as part of a new expansion target. It is focusing on businesses in the UK, Brazil, the EU, Indonesia, Mexico, Australia and South Africa.
