GSS EU Science Funding Gateway

Food loss and waste has negative impacts on society, the environment and the economy:

• it contributes to food insecurity and hinders nutrition
• generates greenhouse gas emissions and creates pressure on land and water, including deforestation, degradation of natural habitats and biodiversity loss
• it is also responsible for great economic losses

Successful proposals are expected to address two complementary areas: A. Developing a comprehensive evidence-based analysis of food loss and waste prevention actions, with the overall aim of informing decision-making. This should involve an impact assessment and cost-benefit analysis of existing food waste prevention actions in the EU and its associated countries, and of their economic, environmental and social impacts. This should include developing a database of actions and tools for preventing and reducing food waste and loss, which will help inform future interventions by different stakeholders and promote replicability across countries.

B. Supporting research (i.e. development of an evidence base) and innovation (with a special focus on open and social innovation) on existing social norms responsible for food waste, so as to foster appropriate changes in consumer behaviour and business practices (e.g. marketing standards, retail and trade practices, restaurant portion sizes). This will involve gathering new evidence on the feasibility of innovations that are tailored to specific contexts.

As regards food businesses, this activity should support innovative and/or improved business practices in large companies and SMEs that:

• Effectively signal the value of food, so as to reduce food waste;
• Redesign portion sizes to reduce food waste;
• Operationalize food waste reduction and prevention though internal corporate policies and business strategies with supply chain actors

Proposals should develop compelling communication products, potentially two-way communication activities for each relevant food system actor and an innovative science education package for schools.