Food Waste Reduction Roadmap progress report 2019

Embedding a culture of Target, Measure, Act into the food and drink sector is critical to achieving the Courtauld Commitment 2025 targets and UN Sustainable Development Goal 12.3. The ambitious aim for the Food Waste Reduction Roadmap was to have 50% of the UK’s largest 250 food businesses implementing Target, Measure, Act by September 2019, aiming for all by 2026.

The Food Waste Reduction Roadmap Progress Report 2019 outlines the progress that has been made in the Roadmap's first year to embed Target, Measure, Act in the UK food sector. This means in practice:

• setting a food waste reduction target for their UK operations;
• measuring and reporting food surplus and waste according to the Roadmap guidelines;
• taking action to reduce food waste in their own businesses; and
• through engagement and innovation helping to reduce food waste from their suppliers and consumers.

Businesses implementing Target, Measure, Act are already reporting the benefits. For example, 25 businesses publicly reported 2018 and historical data, and collectively reported a 7% reduction in food waste, saving over £85m of food (53,000 tonnes).

There is much more to do, with another 500 major food businesses needing to implement Target, Measure, Act to enable the UK to achieve SDG 12.3, and those businesses already measuring have work to do to embed a culture of continuous improvement. Champions 12.3 and WRAP are calling for more businesses to implement Target, Measure, Act, and publicly report, to help track progress and inform action.

WRAP’s engagement team is available to support committed businesses on how to set targets, measure food waste, report in a consistent way and create action plans. Contact us to find out more and what type of support businesses can receive.