The CGF signs Food Waste Resolution

THE Consumer Goods Forum (the CGF), a global, parity-based industry network consisting of senior leaders from 400 retailers, manufacturers, service providers, and other stakeholders in 70 countries, will cut 50% of food waste within member retail and manufacturing operations by the year 2025. This effort supports UN goals to reduce food waste at consumer level and across supply chains.

The CGF's Board of Directors approved the new resolution on food waste which complements the first two which include achieving zero net deforestation by 2020 and beginning the phase-out hydro fluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerants by 2015.

Food waste remains an environmental, social and economic challenge. Data show that about one-third of food calories produced are never eaten, and this represents an economic cost to the global economy of $750 billion per year and.

The CGF recognizes that unchecked climate change will immensely impact the consumer goods sector, its customers and employees. With the COP21 Climate Summit occurring in Paris later this year, this new Food Waste Resolution, together with the CGF's work on deforestation and low carbon refrigeration, demonstrates the industry's commitment to play a leading role in limiting global temperature rises to 2°C.

The Food Waste Resolution aims to set a benchmark for present food waste arisings and to set measurable goals to reduce food waste in the future. The Resolution specifically commits to aligning the industry around the Food Loss & Waste Protocol being developed by the World Resources Institute.

The Food Waste Resolution focuses on two key areas:

• Preventing food waste, then maximising its recovery towards the goal of halving food waste within the retail and manufacturing operations of CGF members by 2025, versus a 2016 baseline.
• Contributing to the UN goals by 2030 to:
• Halve per capita global food waste at the consumer level; and
• Reduce food losses along production and supply chains including post-harvest losses and maximize the value of the remaining waste.

The full Food Waste Resolution is available via the CGF website.