Deliverable D3.5

This report presents a series of policy recommendations based on research conducted within REFRESH to reduce food waste along the whole supply chain, and improve the management of surplus food and food waste flows at the European level.

These recommendations focus on three key impact areas, including consumer behaviour, integrated supply chain policies (including Voluntary Agreements and Unfair Trading Practices) and valorisation. To tackle food loss and waste, there is a pressing need for more integrated policies to achieve sustainable food systems in the circular economy. REFRESH presents the building blocks for a roadmap towards an integrated food waste policy for the EU, structured by the ‘target-measure-act’ principle.

Due to the complexity of the food system, there are many policies that (in)directly affect the generation and prevention of food loss and waste across the supply chain. To achieve maximum impact on preventing and reducing global food waste levels, policy makers and other stakeholders will need to work together to create an integrated policy framework for sustainable food systems. REFRESH findings build the evidence based within three key impact areas, consumer behaviour, integrated value chains and valorisation.

The objective of these recommendations is to facilitate the creation of an enabling policy environment for the reduction, reuse and valorisation of food loss and waste within the context of a sustainable food system. The recommendations aim to contribute to improved policy design and implementation in the EU and its Member States, assisting policy makers in further shaping food waste and related policies. The report brings together the evaluation of current policy and the recommendations for improvement in a coherent set of recommendations within a systemic perspective.

Citation: 

Bos-Brouwers, H., Burgos, S., Colin, F., Graf, V., 2020: Policy recommendations to improve food waste prevention and valorisation in the EU. REFRESH Deliverable 3.5

Language: 

  • English

Publishing date: 

20/02/2020

Credits: 

Stephanie Wunder (Ecologic Institute), Asa Stenmarck (IVL), Julian Parfitt (Anthesis), Erica van Herpen, Hans van Trijp, Lisanne van Geffen (Wageningen University), Toine Timmermans (Wageningen University & Research), Karen Luykx, Jessica Sinclair Taylor, Martin Bowman (Global Feedback), Kate Bygrave, David Rogers, Tom Quested, Patrick Mahon (WRAP), Matteo Vittuari (University of Bologna), Karin Östergren, Jennifer Davis (RISE), Hannah Pinchen, Paul Finglas (Quadram Institute)

Language: 

Citation: 

Bos-Brouwers, H., Burgos, S., Colin, F., Graf, V., 2020: Policy recommendations to improve food waste prevention and valorisation in the EU. REFRESH Deliverable 3.5

Deliverable: 

D3.5.

Work package: