13 Multi- level governance of
food waste
Comparing Norway, Denmark and
Sweden
Julia Szulecka, Nhat Strøm-Andersen,
Lisa Scordato and Eili Skrivervik
13.1 Introduction
While numerous political initiatives and civil society efforts have, for years,
focused on undernourishment and hunger in vulnerable regions, an astonishing one third of all edible food produced globally is wasted (FAO, 2011).
Studies commissioned by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimate annual global food loss and waste by quantity for root
crops, fruits and vegetables (40–50%), fish (35%), cereals (30%), oilseeds, and
meat and dairy products (20%) (FAO, 2015, p. 2). Without a doubt, the
alarming scale of food waste indicates a substantial market failure. Global food
waste translated directly to economic terms has a value of US$1 trillion annually (FAO, 2015, p. 3). Another FAO study of total global costs of food waste
estimated that apart from the direct economic loss, indirect environmental
costs can be translated to some US$700 billion, and social costs of around
US$900 billion per year (FAO, 2014). What is more, food waste is also a
huge environmental challenge. Uneaten food is not only a loss within its own
production chain, but squanders other valuable resources (land, water, energy
and labour). It has a direct impact on the global climate – estimates suggest
that global food loss and waste generate 4.4 Gt CO 2 eq annually, which is
some 8% of total anthropogenic GHG emissions (FAO, 2015, p. 3). The
European Commission’s analyses conclude that the food sector, together with
housing and transport, has the largest environmental impacts in Europe, and
that food waste has negative impacts due to the production burdens of
uneaten food and waste treatment (Stenmarck, Hanssen, Silvennoinen, Katajajuuri & Werge, 2011). Lastly, but no less importantly, the scale of food
waste is a significant moral issue. All the starving and malnourished people
around the world could be fed using only a portion of the food we see being
wasted.
Given the alarming scale of food waste, with edible food landing in composts, landfills and incineration plants, it is somewhat surprising that the
problem stayed below the radar of most politicians, scientists and civil society
activists for a long time. Scholars note that ‘until recently, food waste has
food waste
Comparing Norway, Denmark and
Sweden
Julia Szulecka, Nhat Strøm-Andersen,
Lisa Scordato and Eili Skrivervik
13.1 Introduction
While numerous political initiatives and civil society efforts have, for years,
focused on undernourishment and hunger in vulnerable regions, an astonishing one third of all edible food produced globally is wasted (FAO, 2011).
Studies commissioned by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimate annual global food loss and waste by quantity for root
crops, fruits and vegetables (40–50%), fish (35%), cereals (30%), oilseeds, and
meat and dairy products (20%) (FAO, 2015, p. 2). Without a doubt, the
alarming scale of food waste indicates a substantial market failure. Global food
waste translated directly to economic terms has a value of US$1 trillion annually (FAO, 2015, p. 3). Another FAO study of total global costs of food waste
estimated that apart from the direct economic loss, indirect environmental
costs can be translated to some US$700 billion, and social costs of around
US$900 billion per year (FAO, 2014). What is more, food waste is also a
huge environmental challenge. Uneaten food is not only a loss within its own
production chain, but squanders other valuable resources (land, water, energy
and labour). It has a direct impact on the global climate – estimates suggest
that global food loss and waste generate 4.4 Gt CO 2 eq annually, which is
some 8% of total anthropogenic GHG emissions (FAO, 2015, p. 3). The
European Commission’s analyses conclude that the food sector, together with
housing and transport, has the largest environmental impacts in Europe, and
that food waste has negative impacts due to the production burdens of
uneaten food and waste treatment (Stenmarck, Hanssen, Silvennoinen, Katajajuuri & Werge, 2011). Lastly, but no less importantly, the scale of food
waste is a significant moral issue. All the starving and malnourished people
around the world could be fed using only a portion of the food we see being
wasted.
Given the alarming scale of food waste, with edible food landing in composts, landfills and incineration plants, it is somewhat surprising that the
problem stayed below the radar of most politicians, scientists and civil society
activists for a long time. Scholars note that ‘until recently, food waste has