Food loss and waste monitoring sub-group

In the first mandate of the EU Platform on Food Losses and Food Waste (2016-2021), the sub-group on food waste measurement supported members in sharing information on food loss and waste measurement activities carried out by national authorities and actors in the food value chain and monitoring food waste levels. The sub-group also exchanged information with UN Agencies concerning the monitoring of the SDG Target 12.3 in order to align EU reporting obligations and contributed to developing a common EU methodology and indicators to measure food waste.

As called for by the Farm to Fork Strategy, the Commission proposed legally binding targets to reduce food waste across the EU, by end 2023, defined against a baseline for EU food waste levels set following the first EU-wide food waste monitoring. In addition to quantifying food waste levels, the Commission will investigate food losses at the production stage and explore ways of preventing them.

The sub-group on Food loss and waste monitoring would support these key actions. While these actions refer to measurement at the country level, the sub-group will also discuss and disseminate food loss and waste measurement methods that could support action and implementation of food loss and waste prevention measures on a smaller scale (e.g. by individual food business operators).

More information about the background and tasks of this sub-group can be found in its Terms of reference:

• Mandate: Food loss and waste monitoring sub-group

Full list of the sub-group members can be consulted on this page (under the section "Members")

25 November 2024 (hybrid) 

• Agenda
  
  Presentations
   
  • Reporting obligation on food waste for businesses in Austria, presentation by Federal Ministry for Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology of Austria
  • Progress update from sector-based monitoring in the Netherlands, presentation by Wageningen University & Research
  • Technical tools to measure food waste by the EU-funded Wasteless project, presentation by University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Dour
  • Food waste prevention and monitoring, the Croatian experience, presentation by Ministry of Environmental Protection and Green transition of Croatia
  • EU food waste reporting in 2024 challenges and opportunities, presentation by Eurostat
  • Quantifying food losses in primary production update from the EU-funded FOLOU project, presentation by Espigoladors
  • State of play of the Farm Sustainability Data Network (FSDN) and specific information on food loss, presentation by DG AGRI
  • Results and suggested actions to reduce food loss in Sweden, presentation by The Swedish Board of Agriculture

11 July 2024 - On-line (Webex)

• Agenda
• Summary
  
  Presentations
  • Update on Supply Chain Segment Self reporting and insights on the Climate Footprint of Dutch Food Waste, presentation by Wageningen University & Research
  • Bringing in the behavioural perspective to food loss and waste analysis, presentation by FAO
  • Exploring the implementation of a measurement standard in contract catering, presentation by the International Food Waste Coalition
  • Voluntary agreement for food waste reduction of German wholesalers and retailers, presentation by the Thünen Institute
  • Food waste measurement in Greece: challenges and progress, presentation by Harokopio University
  • Single Market Programme projects to support the measurement and reduction of food waste in Hungary, presentation by the Hungarian National Food Chain Safety Office

Previous Meetings