Conflicts and Paradoxes in the Food Waste Problem

 What are the conflicts or paradoxes in the food waste problem and why these conflicts or paradoxes need to be resolved before being able to even consider the technical food waste problem?

Food loss and waste (FLW) definition

First of all to even consider a solution to the enormous amounts of food loss and waste, we must agree on a world wide definition of food loss and/or food waste. Only then can challenges in consistently measuring and credibly reporting on how much food loss and waste is created and identifying where it occurs can be done.

The Food Loss & Waste Protocol (FLW ProtocolLinks to an external site.) tries to address this inconsistency by standardising the method of quantitative data collection. It provides a definition that allows room for flexibility and thus makes it suitable for a range of entities according to its goal. The protocol defines the possible components of FLW in terms of the possible material types (i.e., food and/or associated inedible parts) and destinations (where material removed from the food supply chain is directed).

If you as an entity has the goal of reducing GHGs by limiting the amount of FLW that goes to landfill, then FLW can be defined as both food and associated inedible parts that goes to landfill (here, no other destinations are relevant).

Do you think selling perfectly good but older stock of food at cheap prices is food waste prevention?

Well I thought it was. But this will lead to more food waste. People buy these cheap products due to persuasive prices often would not have planned to include these products and would simply do impulse purchases. Then once they get home it might rot in their drawers or refrigerators. When food gets wasted in the house, they go buy food again. To meet the demand of the consumers and to make up for the food wasted along the supply chain, actors at each step overproduce. This is a vicious cycle. We have to put an end to this re-appraisal of overproduction. Thus don't encouraging overproduction. This will also help small holder farmers and producers, and in the long run reduce food prices in general.

So, overproduction should not be the solution to food waste. Instead food waste prevention initiatives must be practiced. Not food waste management but food waste prevention.

Food Waste Index 2021

Unlike what was assumed before, food waste at the consumer level is a global problem and is not the problem of the developed countries alone. And the global estimates of food waste by sector shows that 74 kg/capita/year of food on average is wasted from the household alone. This is huge compared to the food services and retailers, both of which account only for an average of 47 kg/capita/year.