FOOD WASTE
Businesses stepping up to the plate on food waste commitments From farmers to retailers to grocers to startups , businesses are recognising that curbing food waste is good for the planet and good for business .
UK grocer Tesco has pledged to end edible food waste entirely , discount retailer Aldi UK and Ireland says it will halve food waste by 2030 , and US chain Walmart donates more than 745 million pounds of food globally through its food donation program .
Some are involved in initiatives like 10x20x30 , in which 10 of the world ’ s largest food retailers and providers , including Walmart and Tesco , each engage at least 20 suppliers to halve food loss and waste by 2030 . Others are re-evaluating pandemicimpacted supply chains to focus on resilience , adopting new technologies driven by AI , machine learning , IoT and blockchain .
Take online British supermarket Ocado , the world ’ s largest dedicated online supermarket , which in 2020 revealed near zero food waste food figures ( 0.02 %) in what it says is the lowest in the industry . The firm , which has taken the approach to drive down food waste in its supply chain , uses bespoke software which calculates pack items to reduce product damage and decrease food waste . “ In 2020 , our waste was 0.04 %; this contrasts with the industry average waste figure of between 2 % and 5 %,” Ocado ’ s CEO Mel Smith told an international audience of food and drink industry leaders at City Food Lecture event early in 2021 . “ We produce hardly any food waste . This is because we have a really short supply chain , but also because we have a perfect view of what our customers have in their baskets , up to 28 days in advance . This means we are better able to predict what we need from our suppliers and minimise potential waste from buying too much .”
Meanwhile , Amazon Fresh has pioneered a machine learning system leveraging data science to estimate future demand , ensuring they are buying products from manufacturers , distributors and local farmers with the most relevant selection and optimal delivery times to limit food waste .
And as grocery retailers and other companies prioritise their ESG commitments , startups offering techbusinesschief . com 101