By Selina JuulChairman of the Board and Founder, Stop Wasting Food movement (Stop Spild Af Mad), and Champion 12.3
To mark the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste, we’re sharing her latest piece – work that closely aligns with Rockstart’s own Food Waste and Circularity Network, which brings together startups, corporates, investors and public actors in Denmark to tackle food waste and side-stream valorisation.
Eighteen years on, the fight against food waste no longer makes the headlines it once did. There are fewer television features and press stories about food waste nationally, internationally and across Europe, and the issue receives less attention on social media. But declining media attention does not mean the problem has disappeared.
In 2026, the world remains unsettled. Climate change is escalating, and wars and conflicts continue to shake global stability. Against this backdrop, wasting food is increasingly costly. Yet, viewed through a global lens, 13.2% of all food is lost, according to the FAO, before it reaches the retail sector, while a further 19% is discarded at the retail, food service and household levels. The figures also reveal a clear geographical divide. In the Global South, food loss occurs primarily at the farm and storage stages, while in the Global North, food waste is concentrated mainly in industry, retail and among consumers.
Almost 60 mn tonnes of food are wasted every year in the EU – 132 kg per person. Globally, food loss and waste result in more than US$ 1 tn in economic losses.
Progress against food waste is playing out on several fronts at once – policy, technology, funding and business models. Here’s where each one stands.
The EU takes action on food waste
There is positive progress to highlight, too. On 9 September 2025, the European Parliament adopted new EU targets to reduce food waste. The updated legislation introduces binding food waste reduction targets to be met at national level by 31 December 2030: a 10% reduction in food processing and manufacturing, and a 30% per capita reduction in retail, restaurants, food services and households. These targets will be calculated against the annual average amount generated between 2021 and 2023.
Following the Parliament’s request, EU countries will also have to take measures to ensure that economic operators with a significant role in preventing and generating food waste – to be identified in each country – facilitate the donation of unsold food that is safe for human consumption.
As an active member of the EU Platform on Food Losses and Food Waste for the past 10 years, I welcome this latest development. Already in 2010, the Stop Wasting Food movement (Stop Spild Af Mad), together with several European organisations and stakeholders, signed the Joint Declaration Against Food Waste – a European declaration aimed at cutting global food waste by at least 50% by 2025. This collaboration helped pave the way for the European Commission’s own resolution on targets for reducing food waste in 2012. It later inspired the UN Sustainable Development Goals, adopted in 2015 in New York – specifically target 12.3, which calls for halving global food losses and waste by 2030.
By adopting binding reduction targets, Europe is not only strengthening action at home; it is also sending a powerful signal to the rest of the world that ambitious, systemic action is both possible and necessary.
New policy recommendations for governments
Harness artificial intelligence (AI). AI is gaining ground in the food industry, and we can already see its potential. Airline company KLM has reduced its food waste by 63% using AI. Danish food wholesaler Dagrofa Foodservice reduced waste by 112 tons, while IKEA has more than halved its food waste, saving over 20 mn meals in four years.
A new AI-powered solution developed by Zest is being tested by companies such as Nestlé in the UK. The tool monitors and tracks wasted ingredients and products in real time and reduced edible food waste by 87% in one of Nestlé’s factories during a two-week trial. AI has the potential to be a real game-changer in the fight against food waste.
Ensure continuous governmental financial support. If the fight against food waste depends primarily on volunteers and well-intentioned European citizens, there is a risk that progress will eventually disappear. Governments should provide continuous financial support for stakeholders, especially NGOs and charities, working to prevent food loss and waste.
Support initiatives based on side-streams and ugly produce. A recent Verian survey for the Stop Wasting Food movement (Stop Spild Af Mad) shows that 77% of Danes completely or mostly agree that they prefer to buy crooked or wonky fruit and vegetables in supermarkets. The survey also confirms that Danes judge by taste rather than appearance: 87% agree or mostly agree that imperfect vegetables taste just as good as attractive, perfect ones. Turning side-streams and ugly produce into viable businesses can create new and larger revenue streams for companies.
Progress is still slow
According to the World Resources Institute’s Champions 12.3 recent Progress Reports, with only four years remaining until 2030, the world is not on track to achieve SDG 12.3. Global reductions in food loss and waste have yet to accelerate sufficiently to meet this ambitious target, whether through companies or countries.
However, there are bright spots. Japan has become the first country in the world to cut food loss and waste in half compared to its base year and has now expanded its ambition to achieve even deeper reductions by 2030. Several other countries also have strategies in place to tackle food loss and waste.
Company-level reductions are promising as well. Ingka Group (IKEA), Ajinomoto and Carrefour have already halved their food loss and waste.
In September 2026, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) released ISO 20001, a new international standardized procedure for minimising food loss and waste across the food supply chain. These standards are intended to apply to all stakeholders – including food producers, food processors and manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers, restaurants and food-related charities – within the food supply chain. I have also contributed to this work.
Having worked on food waste for the last 18 years, I believe preventing wasted food must remain a global priority. We need to shift towards a narrative that values the food we produce, ensures that people are fed and protects the planet for generations to come.
As we mark the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste, let us recognise the progress made – and the work that still lies ahead.
The Rockstart Food Circularity Network is part of the Danish government’s GUDP – Green Development and Demonstration Program, supporting green innovation across the food sector. Led by Rockstart, the network brings together startups, corporates, researchers and public stakeholders to accelerate the transition towards a more circular food system. Participation in the Food Circularity Network is free and open to all stakeholders.
Join the Food Circularity Network if you would like to learn more about Denmark’s food circularity ecosystem.
