New food system should curb food waste

If you’re hungry, there's always food around... The goal of the food industry is to provide food for people anytime, anywhere. And we ourselves tend to make sure our pantry is well stocked, because it could just happen that someone unexpectedly comes over for dinner. The advantage of this is that we can eat whenever we want. But this way of life also comes with a hefty social cost, due to the inefficient use of auxiliary resources used to grow, cool, transport and store food. The project Food Waste: From Excess to Enough (FETE) is developing a roadmap for a new food system with as little waste as possible. To this end, researchers are taking a closer look at the dynamics of the food system, consumers and retailers. At a conference during Waste-Free Week, researchers shared promising interventions and insights gained during this project.

The FETE research team consists of researchers from Wageningen University & Research, TU Delft, Groningen University and several food companies such as Iglo, HAK and Hello Fresh. They zoomed in on current insights from research and practice during the conference. According to Erica Van Herpen, associate professor, one of the main themes was flexible consumption and changing consumer behaviour. ‘It is important that consumers are flexible in their purchases and cooking of food, and the system needs to be more adaptive to reduce food waste,’ she explained. ‘One of the studies within the project focuses on good provider identity. Our desire to ensure our families have enough to eat often leads to throwing away excess food. Researchers encouraged consumers to buy smaller packages. Thus, while ordering online, customers were given advice on which packaging was best suited to their household. And it works. Retailers can help consumers by suggesting smaller packaging in more appropriate quantities.’

Changing consumer behaviour can also be done by deploying kitchen tools and directions that help to better manage food. FETE researchers worked with Voedingscentrum Nederland, which has developed a comprehensive set of directions and tools to help families buy, store, prepare and consume their food. ‘Think stickers that show what you can or cannot keep in the fridge or a measuring cup that shows how much pasta or rice is enough for one person,’ van Herpen explains. ‘This intervention was successful: food waste fell by as much as 39.2% and 23.0% in the surveys, respectively. Families reported better skills in managing their food and did more to reduce food waste, such as making shopping lists and measuring portion sizes.’

Surprise bags

Their pitches also zoomed in on retail concepts and activities such as ‘surprise bags’, for example from Too Good To Go. Through surprise bags, companies sell surplus food at a discount without revealing what is inside until the customer picks up the bag. Researchers wanted to know how people use surprise bags at home. The FETE study shows that people eat the food they like, give away or throw away the ingredients they don't like, and keep food they are neutral about. Van Herpen: ‘If someone has a strong motive to reduce waste or try new experiences, they will be more likely to share the food. Surprise bags can be effective in reducing the waste of surplus food, and the research offers insight into how to optimise such initiatives. Namely by taking consumers' food preferences and buying motives into account.’

The pitches were followed by table discussions with scientists and food system representatives. They exchanged views on how the findings of the studies can be translated into practice. Among other things, they discussed how consumers can be helped by optimising their stock and encouraging them to use products with a long shelf life. For example, according to participants, it is a good idea to explain to consumers how the best-before date works, for instance through explanation stickers on products. Indeed, many products can be used for longer than indicated on the packaging. By smelling and tasting, you know whether it is still good.

The researchers are incorporating the useful new insights into a roadmap for a new food system. A system that helps us value food more and encourages us to buy less without compromising on food quality, variety or convenience. Van Herpen: ‘One striking insight is people's motivation to want to waste less food. Initially, we thought finances would play a big role. But research shows that precisely people who consider morality around food waste important throw away less food. Respondents who indicated that they find it difficult to throw away food while keeping in mind that people are starving elsewhere in the world are the ones who waste less. An insight we can build on.’