Reflection on the Evaluation of National Food Loss and Waste Reduction Strategies
The DDSA Chair was approached by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to contribute to the work of the OECD Food Chain Analysis Network (FCAN) on the evaluation of national food loss and waste (FLW) reduction strategies.
This collaboration is a continuation of the OECD's ongoing reflections on public policies relating to sustainable food systems, notably following the report Beyond Food Loss and Waste Reduction Targets.
Food Loss and Waste in the Fruit and Vegetable Sector
The DDSA Chair collaborated with the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) as part of a research project on food loss and waste in the fresh fruit and vegetable sector in Canada. This collaboration led to the publication of the report The Impact of Food Safety Regulations and Standards on Food Loss and Waste in the Fresh Produce Sector in Canada (2018).
This report examines how Canadian food safety regulations and voluntary industry standards contribute to food loss and waste in the fresh fruit and vegetable sector. It analyzes in particular the impact of product appearance standards, handling and transportation requirements, and disposal practices. The report puts forward recommendations for reducing waste without compromising food safety, including a review of appearance standards, improved loss measurement, and policies to divert more food from landfills.
To consult the full report, click here.
Selected Outcomes
Publications
- G. Parent, Commentaires au rapport « Bilan des activités - réduire la perte et le gaspillage alimentaire au Canada », Chaire DDSA, March 22, 2019.
- DDSA Chair and IICA Canada (2018), The Impact of Food Safety Regulations and Standards on Food Loss and Waste in the Fresh Produce Sector in Canada, July 2018.
- Boulianne, M. et al., 2019, Vers une alimentation territorialisée et durable. Le système alimentaire de la grande région de Québec, de la production agricole à la gestion des résidus : enjeux, questions, portrait. Research Report. Québec, Université Laval.
- C. Legault, Le cadre juridique entourant la prévention du gaspillage alimentaire et la valorisation des résidus alimentaires, mémoire de maîtrise en droit, Université Laval, Master's thesis in law, Université Laval, 2018 (supervised by Geneviève Parent).
Communications
- Cynthia Legault, "Le cadre juridique entourant la prévention du gaspillage alimentaire et la valorisation des résidus alimentaires", paper presented as part of the project "Vers une alimentation territorialisée et durable : une recherche participative pour comprendre le système alimentaire de Québec", Université Laval, 2018.
