Abstract
Based on their experiences gained in 15 companies in the catering sector and the bakery industry, the authors present a participatory concept to reduce food waste in the food industry. This five-phase concept, adapted to the PDCA (Plan–Do–Check–Act) cycle applied in the Total Quality Management, involves a participatory approach where employees are integrated into the process of developing and implementing measures to counteract food waste. The authors describe how the participatory approach can be used to raise awareness of the topic of food waste to improve employee commitment and responsibility. As a result, the authors further offer a Manual for Managers wishing to reduce food waste in their respective organizations. This manual includes information on the methodologies applied in each step of the improvement cycle. It also describes why the steps are necessary, and how results can be documented. The participatory concept and the Manual for Managers contribute to reducing food waste and to enhancing resource efficiency in the food industry.
Highlights
In Germany, 18 million tons of food are wasted annually on its way from the farm to the end consumer [1]
This five-phase concept, adapted to the PDCA (Plan–Do–Check–Act) cycle applied in the Total Quality Management, involves a participatory approach where employees are integrated into the process of developing and implementing measures to counteract food waste
The participatory concept was developed by the authors in the context of three projects which all had the goal of reducing food waste
Summary
In Germany, 18 million tons of food are wasted annually on its way from the farm to the end consumer [1]. Fails to offer a holistic concept that integrates employees, customers, and other relevant stakeholders into the process of problem analysis, and the development or implementation of measures to counteract food waste Such a comprehensive concept must be applied in order to benefit from employees’ knowledge and experience, to gain a better understanding of customers’ motivations and attitudes, and to enhance their commitment to the task of food waste reduction. Such a participatory concept, which is both solution-oriented and stakeholder-oriented, provides information on how to analyze the status quo and general measures to apply, and enables managers to identify organization-specific problem areas and develop solution-oriented measures by integrating the relevant stakeholder groups involved in the processes along the food value chain
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
