Tourists’ Perception of Food Waste Reduction in Hotels: An Analysis from a Gender Perspective

Reducing agricultural loss and food waste: how will nature fare?

Reducing our waste size

Integrating food loss and waste reduction policies with global dietary shifts: an economic modelling study.

Globally, one third of food produced goes to waste, which contributes to climate change, nega­tively impacts air and water resources, and can lead to environmental and human health risks. Mitiga­tion efforts have surged in response to these stag­gering statistics on food loss and waste, including initiatives such as food rescue and upcycling pro­grams. Circular economy practices are important for a sustainable future. Limited literature is availa­ble that compares different food rescue programs worldwide and synthesizes considerations for plan­ning new interventions. This paper is a scoping review of peer-reviewed literature on programs and interventions for food rescue and food waste reduction that occur at the retail level. The search in Scopus and Web of Science yielded 400 records for studies published in the past 30 years. Analysis of 18 full-text reports showed diverse food pro­grams from the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Greece, New Zealand, Canada, Sri Lanka, and Israel. Studies were conducted in vari­ous settings, including restaurants, institutions, and retail food stores. The collection methods of res­cued food varied according to the program’s capacity and included accepting donations, redistribution programs, and social enterprises. The results of these reports highlight some of the barriers that food rescue programs face, including logistical and workforce challenges, liability concerns, food avail­ability, and financial restraints. Facilitators that pro­moted food rescue included the use of comple­mentary technology, cooperative alliances, support­ive policies, and favourable incentives. Report find­ings highlight the key role of volun­teers, partner­ships, and innovative technological solutions in advancing food rescue and waste reduction pro­grams. Our research focuses on con­solidating the lessons previously learned as a means of helping future food waste diversion programs overcome obstacles and improve operational effi­ciency. While food rescue is an important interme­diary endeav­our, addressing the root causes of wasted food and reducing inefficiencies in the cur­rent modern industrial food system is necessary to meaningfully reduce food waste at a global level.

The year of 2015 is set to be a milestone for sustainability as governments are increasingly called upon to adopt the UN Post-2015 Development Agenda. Tourism has the potential to contribute directly and indirectly to the Sustainable Development Goals. Particularly, Tourism is seen to be able to play a key role in adopting and implementing sustainable use and management of natural resources, through environment-friendly practices and solutions. Hotels and Food and Beverage business (F&B) are one of the most important components of the tourism sector. Large number of visitors and guests visit hotels and F&B businesses, and waste is automatically generated. Qatar's tourism sector is amongst the fastest growing globally, and the number of tourists that Qatar aims to attract by the year 2030 is projected to reach seven million. The growth in the sector equally means a similar (and natural) increase in the waste generated. Handling solid waste has remained one of the main problems that directly affect the environment. Mismanagement of waste endangers the health of populations especially ones residing near landfills. The problem this research identified was the lack of data and information much needed for policy recommendation addressing recycling of different materials including Food Waste in the hotel industry in Qatar. This study was primarily set up to achieve two folded goal. First, it aims at exploring the current practices within the Hotel Industry in Qatar regarding recycling of waste materials including food. Second, it examines the effect of awareness on Food Waste reduction. To achieve these goals, first, a survey questionnaire was designed to gather the information from a number of 111 hotels (including designated hotel-apartments). Second, an experiment was designed to measure the effect of awareness-cards on Food Waste reduction through comparing the findings from the control and the experiment groups. The survey was conducted during the months of June, July and August, 2015, while the Food Waste experiment took place during the month of Ramadan, 2015. Some of the findings related the two research objectives are presented in the following graphs:The Graph above clearly indicates the average amount of food-waste (FW) generated per guest per day throughout the experiment period of 20 days. The first day of the experiment for the Control Group, i.e. without awareness cards, the average amount of food waste started at 0.6 Kgs per person (i.e. guest), but reduced through the experiment period. For the experiment group when awareness cards were provided on tables the food waste remained very consistent at around 0.2 Kgs per guest. The overall results showed overwhelmingly that awareness, once generated has an immediate, clear and positive influence on customer behaviour, and in this case reduced the average food waste. The experiment measured total food-waste during the 20 days within this restaurant at 1,335 Kgs. Several important points constituted the conclusion and recommendations drawn from the results and analysis of both efforts. The summary highlights the vital importance and need for investments across all aspects of material recycling, which should be encouraged at a government level, and extended to SMEs, to develop local businesses within the recycling sector in Qatar. More efficiency is also required between F&B organisers and charities, and great incentives should be put in place for those participating in recycling efforts, and conversely penalties should be implemented for those organisations not actively pursuing “reduction” strategies to waste. Food cost reduction, without impact on food quality or perceived value, could be conservatively reduced by about 50% through spreading awareness of the impacts of Food Waste on the environment.

PurposeFood waste represents a major sustainability challenge with environmental, economic, social and health implications. Institutions of higher education contribute to generating food waste while serving as models in championing sustainability solutions. An experiential learning project was implemented as part of two university courses in a buffet-style university dining hall with the objective to reduce food waste while building student capacity to contribute to transformational food system change.Design/methodology/approachPartnerships were developed with university dining services. Students were trained to conduct a needs assessment in a university dining hall through food waste measurements. Students were facilitated through the process of applying baseline data on food waste to design, implement and evaluate a multi-component food waste intervention that consisted of offering reduced portion sizes, use of smaller serving utensils and educational messaging. Participant reflections were elicited to evaluate the effectiveness of the experiential learning experience.FindingsThe food waste intervention led to a 17 per cent reduction in total food waste, with a large portion of waste attributed to post-consumer plate waste. While the reduction in food waste was not statistically significant, it highlights the potential for food service operations to address food waste through reduction techniques while providing students an experiential opportunity that meets multiple learning objectives including systems thinking, collaboration and motivation for leading change in the food system.Originality/valueThis study highlights the opportunity of building student capacity to address sustainability challenges through an experiential learning model for reducing food waste in an institutional setting that other educators can adapt.

In this thesis, the focus is on the reduction of food waste at the retailer level, either by reducing the food waste that is generated, or by re-using food leftovers. The problem is studied with an Operations Research approach, i.e. by the development of simulation and optimization models. The reduction of food waste is important, as the environmental impact of the food system is large, e.g. 24% of the greenhouse gasses in Europe are related to the food system (Westhoek et al., 2016). As global food loss is estimated at 50% of the total production, the environmental impact of the food waste is substantial. Furthermore, the economic impact of waste is estimated on e143 million for the European countries only (Stenmarck et al., 2016). This thesis considers avoidable food waste, and thus does not include food losses or unavoidable food waste. The focus of this thesis is on food waste at retail level. Although waste levels by the retailer are only 5%, there are several reasons why it is important to address the retailers' food waste. The retailers fulfil a key position in many food supply chains, as they sell many products from different food supply chains. Moreover, they are the last actor in the supply chain where logistic interventions can be implemented. Three main causes for avoidable food waste are identified, (i) the consumer in-store behaviour and the consumer demand; (ii) the store management e.g. the replenishment policies and (iii) the product shelf life. In the chapters of this thesis, several interventions are considered in order to reduce or re-use food waste by the retailer. In Chapter 2, both the replenishment strategy and the consumer in-store behaviour are addressed to obtain a food waste reduction. A discount on nearly expired products is provided, to stimulate consumers to buy these products, instead of the fresher ones, which could be sold at a later point in time. Furthermore, a shelf life based on the actual quality of the product (dynamic shelf life) is applied instead of a fixed, printed date. A simulation-based optimization model is created to optimize the replenishment quantity of the retailer combined with the two interventions to reduce food waste. Depending on the discount given, waste reductions up to 60% can be achieved when a discount is applied, although profit levels will be reduced with 11%. A dynamic shelf life can give a waste reduction around 40% on average, without a loss of profit. The replenishment decision for substitutable products is considered in Chapter 3, addressing the in-store behaviour of consumers. The replenishment of perishable products is optimized together, i.e. the replenishment decisions of one product depends on the replenishment decision of the other product. Moreover, the substitution behaviour of consumers between these products is included. For a two-product case, with one-way substitution, a simulation-based optimization model is presented to determine the optimal order-up-to levels. By combining the replenishment decisions for the two products, an average waste reduction of 35% is obtained. Results show high waste reductions when the willingness to substitute of consumers is high. Moreover, large improvements can be made when the two products differ in shelf life or profit margin. Chapter 4 also includes substitution behaviour in the inventory decisions, but for vertically differentiated products with two-way substitution. A heuristic is presented to optimize the replenishment decisions for multiple products under multiple substitution rounds. The results show the importance of including the inventory levels when deciding on the assortment to carry in the store. Furthermore, the incorporation of multiple substitution rounds has a significant effect on the profit. Moreover, due to demand uncertainty, the inclusion of product substitution and thus combining the inventory decisions for a product group increases the expected profit. The demand uncertainty can be shared among the products within the product group, which reduces the relative uncertainty, and profit levels therefore might rise. At the retailer, it will be impossible to reduce the food waste to zero. The re-use of food leftovers is therefore studied in Chapter 5. A mixed integer linear programming (MILP) model is developed for the menu planning of a soup kitchen. The soup kitchen can buy ingredients, but also receives food donations from retailers or other food companies. By minimizing costs, the MILP model provides a menu plan for the soup kitchen with restrictions on meal and ingredient use to provide a varied and healthy meal to the customers of the soup kitchen. Donations either are provided via a contract between the retailer and the soup kitchen, or arrive on a random basis. Results show the cost reduction for the soup kitchen. Furthermore, when good agreements are made between the retailer and the soup kitchen, 50{70% of the food waste obtained at the retailer can be re-used. In Chapter 6 integrated conclusions are presented combined with a discussion and an outlook to further research. All interventions show a great possibility to reduce food waste, and several linkages between the interventions can be found. By combining the interventions, food waste at the retailer can be addressed at several points, which will increase the total effect of the interventions mentioned before.

PurposeFood waste is one of the most challenging issues humanity is currently facing. Therefore, there has been a growing interest in the prevention of food waste because of world hunger, environmental impacts, resource scarcity and economic costs. The purpose of the study is to investigate the factors that influence food waste and the role of technology in tackling food waste in India and the Netherlands.Design/methodology/approachIn order to explore differences in food loss and waste further this study will examine a number of practices on both the production and the consumer side, in a developing country and a developed country with different culture/economic backgrounds: India and the Netherlands. The factors that influence food waste were examined with a preliminary qualitative study, which consists of semi-structured interviews, and quantitative research that comprises a survey. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in both India and the Netherlands, which consists of five interviews. The survey data was collected from 78 individuals from India and 115 individuals from the Netherlands.FindingsOne of the main findings of the research is food waste is divided into waste within agricultural production (i.e. food loss) and final household consumption (i.e. food waste). Different factors influence food loss in different stages in the supply chain. Some of these factors include wastage during processing, storage, transportation and at the market-place. New technologies can utilize food loss for new purposes, so food loss is reduced to the minimum. Food waste is mainly influenced by food passing expiry date, food that is left too long in the fridge and consumers buying too much food. In final household consumption, technologies such as digital platforms enable individuals or organizations to share and donate their food, thereby creating awareness on food waste prevention and the environmental and ethical benefits.Originality/valueThe authors examine to what extent and in which ways supporting consumers to minimize food waste can be achieved via three stages: (1) understanding and evaluating food loss and waste, (2) identifying the factors that influence food loss and waste, (3) understanding consumer behaviors to encourage food waste reduction and (4) identifying the technological impact that would reduce food waste. As such, this paper contributes to ongoing debates about food waste by looking at the role of context and culture and by exploring differences between developed and developing countries. Also, the authors advance the debate by exploring both the role of advanced technology such as blockchain and drones in both preventing loss and waste as well as non-technological mechanisms.

Japan was one of the first countries to address food loss and waste (FLW) issues by launching a policy initiative focused on FLW management in 2000. Following the introduction of this initiative, the amount of FLW initially decreased, but this has levelled off in recent years. It is estimated that the annual amount of FLW generation in Japan is 25.31 million tonnes, of which the amount of ‘food loss’ (edible but wasted) was six million tonnes in fiscal year 2018. To achieve the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12.3, Japan has set a national target of halving ‘food loss’ from the total in 2000 by the year 2030. This chapter introduces an overview of policies related to FLW (Food Waste Recycling Act in 2000 and Act on Promotion Food Loss and Waste Reduction in 2019), trends on FLW generation, and good practices being undertaken to reduce FLW in Japan by governments at both the national and local levels as well as by the private sector.

The reduction of food losses and waste is part of the 2030 Agenda Sustainable Development Goals (target 12.3) and, consequently, is one of the EU’s political priority in the field of circular economy. In this framework, the target 12.3 of the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development stated, by 2030, a not quantified reduction in post-harvest losses and a halving of food waste at the retail and consumers levels; while the EU Commission has recently set the target, by 2030, of reducing by 10% food losses occurred at the stage of processing and manufacturing and by 30% food waste occurred at the stage of retail and consumption. Food losses and waste should primarily be considered an expression of inefficiency of agricultural production processes determining several environmental, social and economic impacts. The quantification of food losses and waste is still an unsolved problem so much so that, in EU; currently available data are only related to the period 2020–2021 and, in many cases, are based on estimates and are not uniform in individual Member States. This makes reliable predictions of results achievable by the European Union particularly difficult. The aim of this paper is to analyze whether the plan of losses and waste reduction established by the EU Commission is able to both ensure the achievement of 2030 Agenda target 12.3 and to make a contribution to improving the sustainability of agri-food systems. In doing so, in addition to Eurostat data on losses and waste, the EU-Commission projections and the latest results of recent studies on environmental, social and economic impact of food losses and waste in EU were used, including indicators on hidden costs of agrifood systems developed by FAO. What observed shows that the EU-Commission reduction plan, if implemented, should result in a reduction of losses and waste inadequate for complying with the recommendation given by the target 12.3. Furthermore, the EU-Commission’s decision not to provide for losses reduction at the agricultural stage should significantly limit environmental benefits, given that much of the negative environmental impacts (GHG, land and water use, etc.) are ascribable to this stage as are, according to FAO estimates, hidden environmental costs. Besides limiting environmental benefits, the EU-Commission reduction plan, focusing only on the food losses and waste reduction in the final stage of supply food chain, could lead to negative social and economic impacts caused by a decline in the demand, which will reduce supply, jobs losses and GDP reduction. The conclusion on this, is that the reduction of food losses and waste is an issue that cannot be addressed separated but needs to be included in a wider program of integrated and complementary measures as a whole clearly aimed at realizing forms of circular economy.

Upcycling to a circular food system

The world is at a critical moment in the fight against food loss and waste, with momentum building to address the 1.3 billion tons of food that is lost or wasted each year. But action is not yet at a pace needed to achieve SDG Target 12.3 by 2030. The report Reducing Food Loss and Waste: Setting a Global Action Agenda identifies a three-pronged approach to halve food loss and waste by 2030. The report calls on governments, companies, farmers, consumers, and everyone in between to: “Target-Measure-Act”: Set food loss and waste reduction targets, measure to identify hotspots of food loss and waste and monitor progress over time, and take action on the hotspots; pursue a short “to-do” list per player in the food supply chain as “no regret” first steps toward taking action; and collaborate on 10 “scaling interventions” to ramp up deployment of Target-Measure-Act and the to-do list. There are enormous benefits to reducing food loss and waste. Successfully halving food loss and waste would close the gap between food needed in 2050 and food available in 2010 by more than 20 percent. It would avoid the need to convert an area the size of Argentina into agricultural land. And it would lower greenhouse gas emissions by 1.5 gigatons per year by 2050, an amount more than the current energy- and industry- related emissions of Japan. This report has been produced by World Resources Institute with support from The Rockefeller Foundation, and in partnership with United Nations Environment, Natural Resources Defense Council, Iowa State University, The University of Maryland’s Ed Snider Center, The Consortium for Innovation in Postharvest Loss and Food Waste Reduction, Wageningen University and Research, the World Bank, and WRAP.

Food waste is a critical global challenge with far-reaching environmental and social consequences. Addressing this issue requires understanding consumer behaviours, habits, and knowledge related to food waste. Research on food waste in eating out covers various aspects, including factors that contribute to food waste, consumer behaviour and potential solutions. Key to understanding the problem of food waste and to finding and implementing effective solutions is research into the knowledge and behaviour of young people, and students in particular, regarding dietary choices, eating habits, food waste and their attitudes towards food in general. This paper delves into the urgency of reducing food waste, encompassing its definition, stages in the food supply chain, and its relevance to achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The European Union's efforts and Bulgaria's initiatives provide context to the broader discourse on food waste reduction. Тhe European Commission has set out a number of policies and instruments aimed at reducing food loss and waste as part of the Circular Economy Action Plan and the Farm to Fork Strategy. In line with EU objectives, a National Programme for the Prevention and Reduction of Food Loss (2021-2026) has been developed in Bulgaria, which sets out the framework for joint action to reduce food loss and waste and for society to rethink its attitudes to food consumption and value. However, food waste problems at the consumer level in Bulgaria are understudied. The aim of the current study is to explore the personal perceptions and behaviours of Bulgarian students towards food waste when eating out. Information was collected through a structured online questionnaire. The survey was conducted during the academic year 2022/2023 among Bulgarian students of the University of National and World Economy in Sofia, Bulgaria. There were 123 participants between the ages of 18 and 35. The main findings of the study showed that over 50% of the respondents were of the opinion that the largest amount of food waste is generated when eating out. The majority of the respondents have stated that they throw away less than 5% of their food when eating out and they take the leftovers home „often“ or „sometimes“, which indicates that Bulgarian students eat most of the food they order when eating out and throw away a small portion of it. Overall, this research contributes to the understanding of food waste patterns and encourages targeted interventions to promote sustainable consumption among students and beyond. Key words: food waste, eating out, students, Bulgaria JEL codes: Q18, Q53

Food Substitution and Waste Reduction Can Reduce the Environmental Impacts and Food Costs of School Meal Programs in the United States: An 2011-2018 NHANES Analysis.

Reduction and better management of food waste affects food security at the household level. Various efforts to increase availability by optimizing production have been carried out but it will be more difficult if it is not accompanied by a reduction in food waste which tends to increase, especially at the consumer level. This study aims to examine how behavior and preventive strategies to reduce food waste in households from various literatures can be used as educational materials or the basis for food waste management programs from households. This Systematic Review study was conducted using the PubMed/Medline, Science Direct, and Google Scholar search databases. Search was limited to articles in peer-reviewed journals, written in English and Indonesian between 2013 and 2022. Publications older than 2013 were not included in compiling the study. After the literature was obtained, then the articles were filtered by title and abstract, including filtering out irrelevant and duplication articles so that there were 13 articles eligible for review. Food loss and waste accounts for > 20% of all food produced, which should still be avoided because reducing food waste can increase food availability for the community. The most widely discussed determinants in the study review are behaviors that include food selection, eating habits and food processing, shopping practices, and waste minimization practices. The potential for reducing food waste can be increased with the most dominant preventive strategies, namely education and socialization, then food management at the individual level, community and government participation.