A historic opportunity arose to elevate the issue of food loss and waste reduction on the global agenda.
In September 2015, a historic opportunity arose to elevate the issue of food loss and waste reduction on the global agenda. At the United Nations General Assembly, countries around the world formally adopted a set of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) —global goals to end poverty and hunger, protect the planet, and ensure prosperity for all populations and generations—as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development . The SDG 12 seeks to “ ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns ” (UN 2025). The third target under this goal ( SDG 12.3 ) calls for Halving per-capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels and Reducing food losses along production and supply chains, including postharvest losses, by 2030 . Many countries and initiatives, including Champions 12.3 , interpret this target to mean that all food loss and waste across the food supply chain should be reduced by 50 percent. This ambitious yet achievable target has the potential to embe...