Technical Report and Roadmap

The Avoidable Crisis of Food Waste

crushed or splattered tomato isolated on white background

Nearly 60 percent of food produced in Canada – amounting to 35.5 million metric tonnes – is lost and wasted annually. Of that, 32 percent – equalling 11.2 million metric tonnes of lost food – is avoidable and is edible food that could be redirected to support people in our communities.

The total financial value of this potentially rescuable lost and wasted food is a staggering $49.46 billion.

Read The Avoidable Crisis of Food Waste

Roadmap

Solution-focused 30-page roadmap

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Technical Report

In-depth 122-page technical report

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Supplementary Material: Case Study Matrix

These unprecedented findings are the result of a year-long research project undertaken by Second Harvest and Value Chain Management International, a leading public and industry voice in the area of food waste.

"The average consumer is not aware of the staggering and depressing extent of food loss and waste."

Food Retailer

Food Loss Facts

58%

of all the food produced in Canada is lost or wasted (that's 35.5 metric million tonnes)

32%

of this lost and wasted food could be rescued to support communities across Canada

$49.46 billion

the total financial value of this potentially rescuable lost and wasted food

56.5 metric million tonnes

of CO₂ equivalent emissions are created annually by food waste in Canada.

“The current system makes it too easy to blame other departments or cite excuses for why change should not occur. The common mantra is: ‘ We have industry average shrink so there’s not a problem and no need to change"

Retailer