According to the UN Food & Agriculture Organisation, the world generates 1.3 billion tonnes of food waste each year. The UK produces 15 million tonnes of food waste a year, costing the economy £5bn. In the fresh produce industry, perishable products mean the risk of waste is high. However, historically not enough has been done to combat the waste phenomenon all through the supply chain.
In November 2013 the situation progressed somewhat when Tesco published figures of its operational food waste from January to June of 2013. The headline was 28,500t of waste in total, with fruit and vegetables accounting for 21 per cent, second only to bakery items at 41 per cent. The highest individual categories were apples at 40 per cent, grapes at 24 per cent and bananas at 20 per cent.
Part of the problem can be attributed to supermarket overstocking and consumer overbuying, not helped by supermarket multibuy offers. Tesco has now reviewed its promotional activity on highly perishable items following the revelation that 68 per cent of its salad bags were wasted across the whole supply chain, with 35 per cent of this coming at the consumer end.
The Courtauld Commitment set up by the government-backed Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP) for the UK grocery sector has made some progress.
For example, during phase two of the programme Asda instigated amendments to increase efficiency in its store and delivery methods, which extended the shelf life of 1,500products. This helps the retailer capture financial missed opportunities and reduces the operational and morale problem of wasting precious resources.
Furthermore, a Michigan State University study into consumer purchasing decisions on sweet cherries demonstrated that shelf life was the second most important factor after price.
Phase three of the Courtauld Commitment has set out targets to reduce food waste in the household by five per cent in 2015, and food waste in the supply chain by three per cent. In addition to this there is an aim to bring in more recyclable packaging designed to protect the product and prevent waste.
Interestingly, the agreement is voluntary, which Defra claims provides retailers with the freedom of how to make the necessary improvements themselves. This has meant that the ball is very much in the court of the retailers. Tesco is now starting to progress supply chain waste reduction, and it will be interesting to see how the situation develops with all retailers as the vehicles of public and political pressure begin to build momentum. It is at the consumer end where there needs to be the biggest shift, with nearly 50 per cent of food waste occurring in the household.
Growers and suppliers of fresh produce need to play their part but are naturally averse to waste as it affects their profitability. The consumer, however, is arguably less conscious as waste is not fundamental to their income, although WRAP estimates that food waste can cost the average family £60 a month. The Love Food Hate Waste Campaign by WRAP may contain some excellent messages and practical household solutions to cutting waste.
Yet, it will never carry the same punch that a positive action by a retailer can. Initiatives like Tesco’s move to discontinue the ‘display until’ dates on fresh produce to provide clarification will likely have a much bigger influence on consumer behaviour. While there is plenty of household waste, a recent Global Food Security Programme report found as much as 40 per cent of crops can be wasted beforehand purely due toaesthetics.
Product specifications are a key area yet to be properly tackled by the retailers and are heavily influenced by the demands for ‘perfect looking’ fruit and veg by the UK consumer. This is to some extent a chicken-and-egg scenario as to what started first; fastidious consumer demand or the ‘perfect product’ climate itself? The retailers would say that they are merely responding to the customer requirements.
In reality it suits the retailers to market their product based on appearance as in non-food sectors, and it is clear they have had a big hand in shaping the culture.
The same culture does not exist on the continent, food is often valued more for its flavour and nutritional content rather than its aesthetics; some potatoes, for instance, are still sold dirty. Moreover, in 2009 the EU removed a restriction on the selling of non-standard fruit and vegetables in order to try to reduce waste.
The poor UK season in 2012 meant supermarkets had to down-shift specs and this to some extent reminded the consumer of the huge influence of nature over the sector. If product size range specifications could be widened and more misshapen produce accepted by the consumer then food waste would be reduced.
There have been some attempts by supermarkets to open up specifications, and in 2011 Waitrose launched its ‘weather blemished apples’. There has also been some attempt by retailers to divert less uniform produce into their economy lines.
Retailers should now give further attention to marketing from a fixture point of view and perhaps making a feature out of unusual product.
This may be of great interest to children, and as the future generations of shoppers, their attitudes towards waste are vital as the problem of global food security rises to greater prominence over the years to come.
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