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Research Project Report – Food Waste: Business Opportunity for Consumer-led Initiatives

Executive Summary

Worldwide, 8.2% of greenhouse gas emissions1 outcomes in unaccompanied food waste. About 6%-8%2 of all human-caused greenhouse gas emissions could be reduced if wasting food is stopped. Altogether this has radical effects on the economy and environment. Following research explores criticality of food waste and food waste management as a business opportunity for digital, consumer-led innovation.

Part A introduces the food waste challenge and how consumers and industry alike are contributors to the problem, while introducing some innovative aspects that can do wonders on food waste management. Part B divers deeper into the problem and covers how businesses can market open innovation in new product development to consumers based on their negative and constrained perception of food waste behaviors, while being themselves motivated by compliance to regulation and New Product Development for business growth.

Part C highlights the importance of digital sustainability in terms of food waste and it also reflects some gaps in existing techniques and frameworks; such as unavailability of consumer involvement and input and therefore, suggests that a full-time consumer-led framework is a better approach to accelerate the digital transformation for food waste management. A frame food waste management in ICT4D perspective, with an end-to-end e-market place solution that connects all possible stakeholders including consumers as contributors through a crowd sourced model. Thereby, achieving a framework for strong community engagement for environmental protection and social innovation.

PART (A) The Introduction and practical aspect

The Zero Hunger SDG focuses on finding sustainable solutions to put a stop towards world hunger. The goals of the Zero Hunger initiative are to end hunger and make sure that by 2030 food security is achieved (Food security and food systems – BMC).

Figure 1. UN SDG 2: Zero Hunger Captured from (End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture)

The aim is to ensure that everyone everywhere has enough good-quality food to lead a healthy life. Around a third of the food produced for humans is lost or wasted (Koehring). Therefore, the sustainability of food waste is one of the most pressing challenges present in economic, social, and environmental life in light of SDGs leading directly to food insecurity.

Figure 2. The statistics representing sector wise distribution of countries where food waste occurs the most (Hamish Forbes (WRAP))

As population is growing rapidly, it will raise into a hunger problem if food is being wasted (PacMoore) (Breene).

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