TORONTO, Aug. 7, 2024
/CNW/ - Second Harvest, Canada's
largest food rescue organization, has commissioned Value Chain
Management International (VCMI), a leading public and industry
voice in the area of food waste, to co-author and provide a
five-year update to the groundbreaking research report, The
Avoidable Crisis of Food Waste.
Originally published in 2019, The Avoidable Crisis of Food
Waste revealed that 58% of the food produced in Canada was wasted each year, with 32% of this
waste being avoidable. An updated report, scheduled for release
later this year, will offer new insights and track the progress of
efforts to reduce food waste nationwide. This update will also
emphasize the impact of best before dates and climate change on
food waste throughout Canada's
entire supply chain.
The original report was the very first to quantify food loss and
waste within the Canadian food supply chain. It underscored the
financial, environmental, and social costs associated with food
waste, amounting to a staggering $49.46
billion annually.
"The 2019 report was a wake-up call for all stakeholders in the
food industry, emphasizing the urgent need for action to mitigate
food waste," said Lori Nikkel, CEO
of Second Harvest. "Building on this foundation, our updated
research will delve deeper into the progress made, challenges
remaining, and new strategies emerging to address this critical
issue."
The updated report, commissioned with the financial support of
Loblaw Companies Limited (Loblaw), will draw on comprehensive data
from across the food supply chain, providing insights into current
trends, root causes of food waste and effective solutions that have
been implemented since the original publication. The report will
also serve as a roadmap for industry leaders, policymakers, and
community organizations to further reduce food waste and redirect
surplus food to those in need.
"We are proud to collaborate with Second Harvest on this vital
initiative," stated Dr. Martin
Gooch, CEO of Value Chain Management International. "Our
ongoing partnership aims to refine strategies for minimizing food
waste, ultimately creating a more sustainable and equitable food
system."
"Loblaw is very happy to support this important work. As one of
the original supporters of Second Harvest with a commitment to send
zero food waste to landfill by 2030 we understand how critical this
data is to companies, governments and community partners,"
Jonathan Carroll, Chair, Loblaw Food
Waste Steering Committee said.
The release of the updated report is anticipated to catalyze
further action among food industry stakeholders, reinforcing the
commitment to reducing food waste and supporting food rescue
efforts nationwide.
For more information on the upcoming release of The Avoidable
Crisis of Food Waste update, visit
www.SecondHarvest.ca/Research.
About Second Harvest
Second Harvest is Canada's
largest food rescue organization and is a global thought leader on
perishable food redistribution. We work with thousands of food
businesses from across the supply chain to redirect unsold surplus
food to non-profit organizations that feed communities in every
province and territory.
By keeping perfectly edible food from ending up in landfill and
redirecting it to the charitable sector, our work prevents harmful
greenhouse gases from entering the atmosphere and improves access
to nutrition for the millions of people in Canada experiencing food insecurity.
In addition to our core work of food rescue, Second Harvest
produces research on food loss and waste, provides education and
training for the charitable food sector and has developed the
Second Harvest Food Rescue App to facilitate direct donations from
food businesses to local non-profits across Canada. To learn more, visit
www.secondharvest.ca
About Value Chain Management International
Value Chain Management International (VCMI) has
authored/co-authored several publications on food loss and waste
and is a leading public and industry voice in bringing awareness to
the opportunities and solutions surrounding food waste reduction,
traceability, and the environment.
VCMI measures waste within the overall analysis of food systems
to create pragmatic and sustainable solutions for businesses and
industry organizations along the value chain. VCMI applies
specialized value chain diagnostic tools to detect where waste
occurs and to determine how to eliminate it. VCMI then participates
in the implementation of new practices to solve the issues and
ensure successful outcomes. www.vcminternational.com.
About Loblaw Companies Limited
Loblaw Companies Limited is Canada's food and pharmacy
leader and the nation's largest retailer. Loblaw provides Canadians
with grocery, pharmacy, health and beauty, apparel, general
merchandise, financial services, and wireless mobile products and
services. With more than 2,400 corporate, franchised and
Associate-owned locations, Loblaw, its franchisees, and
Associate-owners employ approximately 200,000 full- and part-time
employees, making it one of Canada's largest private
sector employers.
Loblaw's purpose – Live Life Well® – puts first the
needs and well-being of Canadians who make one billion transactions
annually in the companies' stores. Loblaw is positioned to meet and
exceed those needs in many ways: convenient locations; more than
1,050 grocery stores that span the value spectrum from discount to
specialty; full-service pharmacies at nearly 1,400 Shoppers Drug
Mart® and Pharmaprix® locations and close to
500 Loblaw locations; PC Financial® services; affordable
Joe Fresh® fashion and
family apparel; and three of Canada's top consumer brands
in Life Brand®, no name® and President's
Choice®
SOURCE Second Harvest