Commission for Environmental Cooperation

Status: Active
Operational Plan: 2019 - 2020

CEC work in 2017–2018 produced knowledge and resources to support a consistent regional approach to measuring food loss and waste and developing youth education tools. This project aims to test these products with the user community (businesses operating in the food sector and youth/youth organizations) to refine them, ensure they meet users’ needs, and foster broader uptake in North America. It also includes engaging companies through the development of case studies, and pursuing a North America-wide marketing campaign to build awareness among youth and encourage them to take action.

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.

Aims

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