EU-Canada Agriculture Dialogue Workshop: Food Loss and Food Waste – November 14, 2024 – Final Report

Executive summary

This report is a summary of a joint government-to-government workshop between the European Union (EU) and Canada on identifying possible solutions, including harnessing innovation, to reduce Food Loss and Waste (FLW) across the agri-food supply chain.

Both sides agreed on the urgent need to address the problem of food waste from an ethical, social, environmental and economic viewpoint. The EU stressed the importance of a holistic approach to finding solutions across all sectors, bringing both the public and private sector onboard. Canada stated that FLW is a policy priority for Canada and that they have committed to developing a Food Loss and Waste Reduction Action Plan.

Overview of FLW – Size of the problem

• The key drivers of FLW include customer specification/grading, human error, storage/inventory and date codes. Three destinations account for 85% of FLW: animal feed, composting and landfill.
• Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) is exploring opportunities to improve data collection in the area of FLW.
• In the EU, around 132 kilogrammes (kg) of food waste per inhabitant were generated in the EU (2022), with 54% generated at household level. EU defines food waste as including both edible and inedible parts. Use of animal feed is not regarded as food waste.
• Food loss (pre-harvest losses on farms) is not covered by EU legislation (a future challenge).

Current FLW policy in Canada and the EU

• In January 2023, Canada, the United States and Mexico each committed to developing a domestic Food Loss and Waste Reduction Action Plan by the end of 2025 outlining efforts to cut food loss and waste in half by 2030.
• Canada stated the importance of federal, provincial/territorial and municipal governments - as well as industry and other food system stakeholders - working together to address the issue of FLW, which is a federal priority. A coordinated, systems-based approach to reducing food loss and waste across the food value chain is required.
• Canada's first Food Policy was launched in 2019 and in 2020, Canada's first federally-led national Food Waste Reduction Challenge was launched.
• The EU has already carried out important steps to prevent food losses and waste, in line with the actions put forward under the first Circular Economy Action Plan, adopted in 2015. These include the elaboration of a common EU methodology to measure food waste consistently; the establishment of the EU Platform on Food Losses and Food Waste in 2016, which brings together EU institutions, experts from the EU countries, international organizations and others to define food waste prevention measures and share best practice; the adoption of guidelines on food donation and for the feed use of food no longer intended for human consumption; and work surrounding the better use of date marking.
• In collaboration with the Joint Research Centre, the Commission ran the European Consumer Food Waste Forum project (2021-2024), with the aim of tackling food waste at consumption level (both in- and out-of-home). The Forum developed a digital Toolkit to reduce consumer food waste, launched in June 2024.
• To step up the EU's contribution to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Target 12.3, the Commission has proposed legally binding food waste reduction targets, to be achieved by Member States by 2030, as part of the revision of the Waste Framework Directive. Member States should reduce 10%, in processing and manufacturing and 30% (per capita), jointly at retail and consumption (restaurants, food services and households).
• Food waste reduction is mentioned among the objectives of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). Although it is primarily addressed under Member States´ environmental policies, elements related to food waste reduction can be found in the Strategic Plans, and there are opportunities for support under the CAP.
• The EU gave the example of sectoral developments that is, new exemptions from the fruit and vegetables marketing standards (January 2025) for products intended for local markets, food donation etc, which should help to reduce food waste.
• The EU also explained its proposal to amend its School Food Scheme to reduce food waste and steps being taken to improve the gathering of data on on-farm losses for food and feed, via the Farm Sustainability Data network.

Sharing ideas of innovative solutions aimed at preventing and diverting FLW

• Canada's Food Waste Reduction Challenge, a $20M initiative which ended March 31, 2024, was an innovative, results-based funding tool with the objective of supporting new innovations and solutions to help address the problem of food waste and loss across the supply chain. Collectively, these solutions will help increase food availability, save consumers and businesses money, reduce GHG emissions and improve the efficiency of the food sector.
• Funding and other support (for example, media training, coaching, etc.) was provided to innovators, who demonstrated to a jury that the desired outcomes had been achieved. In this way many novel technology businesses have been encouraged, with 42 recipients each receiving cash prizes.
• One of the winners developed business solutions for companies to transform nutrient-rich by-products that would otherwise go to waste into new food products. Another challenge winner developed a technology that transforms food waste into compostable bioplastics.
• AAFC has pilot plant capacity (Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec) to validate innovative solutions to reduce food loss and waste along the farm-to-fork continuum. AAFC also has ongoing research activities on the field.
• Horizon Europe is the framework programme for research and innovation (R&I) for 2021-2027. With a budget of EUR 93.5 billion, it is the largest and most ambitious framework programme for R&I in the history of the EU.
• Food 2030 is the EU's research and innovation framework supporting the transition towards sustainable, healthy and inclusive food systems. One priority is to reduce FLW at every stage of the food chain including consumption. Several innovative ideas have emerged from EU funded projects.
• As Canada is now an Associated Country within Horizon Europe, Canadian entities may also apply for funding under Horizon Europe.
• The EU's key challenges are currently how to improve coordination and governance, deal with consumer food waste, behavioural changes, date marking understanding, education and awareness, and how to improve measurement, including measurement on edible fractions of food waste, and how to define and measure food losses.

Discussion on how we could move forward

The following themes were addressed:

• How to improve coordination and collaboration among value chain actors
• Facilitate innovation with farmers/producers and industry
• Share or identify tools and ways to change consumer behaviour
• Support global efforts to reduce FLW towards SDG 12.3

Both sides agreed that a mix of regulatory initiatives and innovative non-regulatory initiatives and ideas need to be considered. EU noted that its Vision for Agriculture would be published within 100 days of the new Commission taking office. Collaboration with stakeholders would be stepped up with the creation of a new high-level board to advise on policy development. Benchmarking of sustainability at farm level will also be introduced.

While there were similarities between EU and Canada in the provision of incentives for innovative solutions, both sides still had much to learn from each other.

There was animated discussion about whether SDG 12.3 was achievable (50% reduction in FLW by 2050). EU's joint target for retail and consumption of 30% cut by 2030 is based on an impact assessment, including what would be feasible. EU's priorities are to continue working closely on consumer food waste, to support further research efforts to understand the drivers of food waste, and to evaluate ongoing efforts and potential transferability of initiatives from one Member state to another.

The problem of food inflation and affordability was discussed. EU pointed to the important role played by the European Food Banks Association while Canada noted that the average Canadian household could save CN$100/month if food waste was eliminated.

Both sides agreed that there is no "one size fits all" solution, with a tailored approach required linked to age, culture, market segment etc. In conclusion it was agreed that this was a discussion to be continued.

Participants