Acknowledgements

Foreword by Sophie Nicklaus

Why a book on food loss and waste?

The origins of contemporary food waste

Combating waste during periods of scarcity

A society of (over)consumption and (over)production

Taking social inequalities and environmental concerns into account

What are we talking about?

Definitions of food waste

Key figures on food waste: trends and measurement

Food loss: from agricultural production to processing

Losses at the production stage

Losses at the processing stage

Food waste: from distribution to consumption

Food waste in the retail sector

The food service sector and itscharacteristics

Food waste at home

Policies for reducing food loss and waste

Legislation and taxation: supporting food donation and setting reduction targets

Mobilizing and raising awareness among stakeholders

A territorial approach through the commitment of local institutions

Action priorities for reducing food waste

Preventing food loss and waste by reducing volumes

Raising awareness of food waste and its impact: everyone’s responsibility?

Buying less, buying better

Optimizing storage and use of food products

Reducing surplus through better management

Marking down

Reprocessing

Managing surplus and discarded food to feed people

Donation and sale

Processing surplus food into new food products

When food leaves the chain directed to human consumption

Animal feed within interconnected food supply chains

Valorization in other industries

Composting and anaerobic digestion: recovering value from food waste

Complexities surrounding reducing food loss and waste and avenues for reflection

A field-based approach to complement measurement and monitoring

Decisions made by some, waste generated by others

Weighing up costs and benefits

The hidden effects on sustainability

Alternatives that are, unfortunately, easier and more visible than source reduction

Key takeaways

General bibliography

Image credits

Crédits iconographiques