Commission for Environmental Cooperation

Issues

Across North America, governments and businesses are increasingly realizing the enormous impacts of food loss and waste. Uneaten food represents social, environmental and economic costs, but also a large opportunity. Taking action to prevent food loss and waste offers a rare “triple win” – economic gains, reduction of environmental impacts and improved quality of life for those who currently lack sufficient food.

• Each year, approximately 168 million tons of food are wasted in North America.
• The food we waste costs our economy $278 Billion US dollars and could have fed 260 million people.
• This waste generates approximately 193 million tons of greenhouse gasses annually.

Aim

The CEC is working to prevent and reduce food waste by engaging with two groups who can make a huge difference:

• The North American Food Supply Chain: The CEC’s Practical Guide for Reducing Food Waste will be used by organizations and small and medium enterprises across the food supply chain to help them to realize social, environmental, and economic benefits: becoming more environmentally conscious while also reducing the use of resources and saving money.
• Youth: The CEC’s Food Matters Action Kit will be used by youth, youth groups, community centres and educators across North America to encourage youth to reduce food loss and waste in their homes, schools and communities.

Deliverables

• Improve tools to measure food waste through peer review and pilot testing of Why And How To Measure Food Loss And Waste: A Practical Guide
• Create  case studies showcasing how companies and organizations from across the food value chain have implemented  Why And How To Measure Food Loss And Waste: A Practical Guide
• Launch an outreach campaign to ensure broader use and uptake of the Food Matters Action Kit by youth, youth  groups, and educators  in communities across North America