Multi-level governance of food waste 265
Box 13.3 Milestones in food waste governance in Denmark
• 2008: Activist Selina Juul established the leading organisation ‘Stop
Wasting Food’, the largest such movement in Europe, with the aim of
raising awareness about food waste (civil society driven)
• 2008: Major food store chain REMA 1000 stopped ‘buy 2 get 3’ sales and
only sold by the piece to reduce consumer food waste (industry driven)
• 2011: The Ministry of the Environment established a voluntary ‘Initiative
Group Against Food Waste’ with stakeholders representing the public and
private sectors (public agency driven)
• 2011: The ‘Charter on Less Food Waste’ created and signed by nineteen
major stakeholders such as various supermarket chains, restaurants, ministries and hotel chains (cross sectoral)
• 2011: The Ministry of the Environment established the ‘Initiative Group
Against Food Waste’ (public agency driven)
• 2013: Ministry of Environment and Food introduced a strategy on growth
and resource- efficiency on food and a fund to support food waste reduction actions (public agency driven)
• 2013: The Zero Waste initiative was launched by municipalities with the
aim of raising public awareness and making citizens the pivot of anti- waste
initiatives (public and civil society driven)
• 2013: The Danish Consumer Council initiated a campaign to increase
awareness of food waste (civil society driven)
• 2014: Launch of the Danish Government Resource Plan for Waste Management 2013–2018 (public agency driven)
• 2015: YourLocal was the first mobile app to help small businesses and
supermarkets fight food waste (civil society driven)
• 2016: The ReFood initiative, in partnership with Stop Wasting Food,
united 800 restaurants, cafes, food producers and institutions. Partners
could use the ReFood label to show their commitment to reducing food
waste (civil society driven)
• 2016: The world’s first food waste think tank – ThinkEatSave – was
established to gather knowledge and develop action plans to combat food
waste (civil society driven)
13.4.4 Comparative analysis of governance pathways
The country- level analysis shows very different governance pathways that can
be identified in the three countries with regard to food waste reduction.
Although a variety of stakeholders take action to reduce food waste in each
country, certain leaders can be highlighted. We identify them as drivers for
food waste action, establishing powerful collaborations between different
actors, levels and sectors in all three countries. We notice a ‘spill- over’ effect
of sorts: where food waste reduction initiatives and the leading actors should
be given credit for shaping the agenda, pushing for action and proposing
innovative solutions, but not for taking unilateral action.
Box 13.3 Milestones in food waste governance in Denmark
• 2008: Activist Selina Juul established the leading organisation ‘Stop
Wasting Food’, the largest such movement in Europe, with the aim of
raising awareness about food waste (civil society driven)
• 2008: Major food store chain REMA 1000 stopped ‘buy 2 get 3’ sales and
only sold by the piece to reduce consumer food waste (industry driven)
• 2011: The Ministry of the Environment established a voluntary ‘Initiative
Group Against Food Waste’ with stakeholders representing the public and
private sectors (public agency driven)
• 2011: The ‘Charter on Less Food Waste’ created and signed by nineteen
major stakeholders such as various supermarket chains, restaurants, ministries and hotel chains (cross sectoral)
• 2011: The Ministry of the Environment established the ‘Initiative Group
Against Food Waste’ (public agency driven)
• 2013: Ministry of Environment and Food introduced a strategy on growth
and resource- efficiency on food and a fund to support food waste reduction actions (public agency driven)
• 2013: The Zero Waste initiative was launched by municipalities with the
aim of raising public awareness and making citizens the pivot of anti- waste
initiatives (public and civil society driven)
• 2013: The Danish Consumer Council initiated a campaign to increase
awareness of food waste (civil society driven)
• 2014: Launch of the Danish Government Resource Plan for Waste Management 2013–2018 (public agency driven)
• 2015: YourLocal was the first mobile app to help small businesses and
supermarkets fight food waste (civil society driven)
• 2016: The ReFood initiative, in partnership with Stop Wasting Food,
united 800 restaurants, cafes, food producers and institutions. Partners
could use the ReFood label to show their commitment to reducing food
waste (civil society driven)
• 2016: The world’s first food waste think tank – ThinkEatSave – was
established to gather knowledge and develop action plans to combat food
waste (civil society driven)
13.4.4 Comparative analysis of governance pathways
The country- level analysis shows very different governance pathways that can
be identified in the three countries with regard to food waste reduction.
Although a variety of stakeholders take action to reduce food waste in each
country, certain leaders can be highlighted. We identify them as drivers for
food waste action, establishing powerful collaborations between different
actors, levels and sectors in all three countries. We notice a ‘spill- over’ effect
of sorts: where food waste reduction initiatives and the leading actors should
be given credit for shaping the agenda, pushing for action and proposing
innovative solutions, but not for taking unilateral action.