Reducing Food Waste

In the OIC Member Countries

COMCEC

CONCEPTUAL FRAM EW ORK FOR FOOD WASTE

International institutions and the literature define food waste differently, as such there is no

single definition, and no consistent and comparable data. The causes of food waste are multiple

and diverse along the different stages of the food chain, and the scale differs within regions. This

section reviews the main definitions of food waste, identifies types of food waste that occur and

highlights the main global initiatives to reduce food waste.

1.1. D e fin itio n s

There are differences in the various definitions applied to food waste. This is partly due to a lack

of consensus (Lebersorger & Schneider, 2011]. In the basic form, ‘food loss’ and ‘food waste’

mean ‘throwing uneaten food’ away.

Food losses: The FAO defines food losses as a “change in the availability, edibility or

quality of food that makes them unfit for human consumption". This includes food loss

during the phases of agricultural production, post-harvest and processing (FAO 1981].

These losses can be attributed to climatic and environmental factors e.g. weather

damage and poor agricultural farming practices or infrastructure.

Food waste: Stuart defines food waste as that which is "a consciously destroyed or

rejected potential source of food, including inedible parts that could be used for animal

feed". It can also include an "action to sort and discard deliberately or consciously a food

source while it is perfectly edible."

In a study commissioned by the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO], the

Swedish Institute for Food and Biotechnology (SIK) states that ‘food losses and waste’ refer only

to products intended for human consumption (FAO, 2011). Parfitt et al. (2016) go further and

identify three main definitions for food waste (see Figure 3):

Figure 3: Main definitions of food losses and waste __________________________________________

Smil 2004 (3)

(1) Wholtcomt thiblt material inttnhth

for human cencemptien, arising at any

point in tht feeh cepply chain that ic

incttah hiccarhth, lect, htgrahth or

cencemth by ptctc (MAO, 1981).

(2) Ac (1), bet inclehing thiblt mattrial

that ic perpectfelly fth to animalc or ic a

by-prehect of feeh prectccing hivtrtth

away from heman feeh previcien (Steart,

2009).

(3) As definitions (1) and (2) but including

over-nutrition -the gap between the

energy value of consumed food per capita

and the energy value of food needed per

person (Smil, 2004).

Source: Adaptedfrom Parfitt et al (2016)