Reducing food waste in Europe requires more effective measures

In a report for the European Environment Agency, IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute has analyzed the measures taken by EU countries to prevent food waste. A total of 332 measures were implemented in 2023, the analysis found.

The report, produced by the European Topic Centre on Circular Economy and Resource Use (ETC CE), reviews policies and measures implemented by countries to prevent food waste. It found that 15 of 27 EU countries have developed strategies or action plans to reduce food waste.

The measures were then categorized according to the waste hierarchy, which in this context has been linked to an indicative model in the form of a food use hierarchy.

To prevent food waste, countries predominantly focus on soft policy measures such as information, education and voluntary initiatives or agreements.

This trend and these efforts to reduce food waste that we see must be further supported. There is a need for more evaluation and monitoring, but also for more robust policy decisions and interaction with other policy areas and environmental targets, says Elisabeth Pernmyr, researcher at IVL and co-author of the report.

Analyzing the effects of these measures remains a challenge, which also makes it difficult to see potential benefits in other areas such as climate impact and biodiversity. At the same time, the results show that measures in other fields – such as climate policy or changes in energy prices – can influence how the food hierarchy is applied in practice.

Subsidies for renewable energy and high energy prices risk diverting surplus food to biogas, instead of it being used as food or animal feed, which contradicts the principles of the food hierarchy. Reducing unnecessary consumption should always be the first priority, says Jurate Miliute-Plepiene, researcher at IVL and co-author of the report.

The report is part of the work of the European Topic Centre on Circular Economy and Resource Use (ETC CE), of which IVL is a partner organization.

Download the report here: Ambitions towards food waste prevention in the EU External link, opens in new window.

For more information, contact:
Elisabeth Pernmyr, elisabeth.pernmyr@ivl.se, tel. +46 (0)10-788 67 46