Sodexo has released a new report as part of its Appetite for Action campaign to support the reduction of food waste and carbon emissions by the food services sector.
In the UK, Monday 7th March marks the start of Food Waste Action Week, a highlight of WRAP’s Love Food Hate Waste campaign which aims to create lasting change that helps to deliver the UN Sustainable Development Goal of halving global food waste by 2030.
As an organisation that produces millions of meals every year and a Food Waste Action Week sponsor, Sodexo considers the prevention of food waste as an area ripe for tackling, and one which presents multiple opportunities to innovate.
The foodservice and facilities management services provider's Appetite for Action report was compiled following an industry roundtable it hosted with policymakers, industry stakeholders, chefs, academics and customers.
These included representatives from WRAP, WWF, Defra, the Food APPG and CBI among others.
The report provides recommendations bot for organisations and government on how food waste can be measured and reduced, so its impact on carbon emissions is minimised.
Recommendations for organisations include:
Recommendations for the UK government include:
Claire Atkins Morris, Director of Corporate Responsibility at Sodexo UK and Ireland, explains: "As a leading food services provider, we have a responsibility to help combat food waste across our operations, as well as assist others in their goal to reduce carbon emissions.
Our report shows how food waste reduction must be embraced across the food system if the UK is to meet its climate change commitments.
"Food Waste Action Week is an excellent opportunity to help make the connection between the food that goes to waste and the effect this has on the environment, and we hope this report highlights how the government, organisations and individuals can all play a significant role in reducing food waste.
We hope to see actions taken and greater progress made by the time the world convenes again this year for COP27."
Sodexo has long been committed to food waste reduction as part of its Better Tomorrow 2025 global strategy.
In 2019, the organisation unveiled an ambition to cut food waste and loss by 50per cent by 2025.
A commitment that was reaffirmed in its Social Impact Pledge 2021.
