Waste in supply chains
Tracing the supply chains that bring our food from farms around the world to supermarket shelves
Huge quantities of food are wasted before food even reaches supermarket shelves, in the supply chains of the retailers and other food businesses. Feedback has been investigating supply chain waste since 2015, in countries including the UK, Kenya, South Africa, Peru and Senegal.
What's the problem?
Food waste isn’t inevitable. It occurs because of business decisions taken, particularly by powerful players like supermarkets, which prioritise profit over waste-reduction. Feedback’s investigations into supermarket supply chains uncovered the hidden food waste burden retailers dump on their suppliers around the world. Causes include a culture of fear in which many farmers worry they’ll lose their contracts if they fail to meet an order, or complain about ill-treatment, leading many of them to overproduce and subsequently waste food.
What's the solution?
Supermarkets and large food businesses need to be held responsible for the full extent of the waste they cause in food supply chains – not just the waste that comes from their stores. We call on supermarkets and policy makers to create binding food waste reduction targets from farm to fork. We implore supermarkets to pay farmers a fair price for food and for policy makers to create an environment where farmers are rewarded for sustainable practice.
Latest updates in this campaign
Last month, we filed for a judicial review of the UK government’s…
What can you do to make a difference?
Help us get good food to those who need it
The global pandemic means that our work in getting fresh, nutritious produce to people has never been more critical. We need your support to help make this happen. Any funds raised now will be committed to our COVID-19 food rescue, preparation and redistribution work.