Public Consultation on the Draft National Food Waste Prevention Roadmap
Source: Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications
Food waste is a global problem that has environmental, social and economic consequences. Growing, processing and transporting food all uses significant amounts of resources.
Food waste can arise for a number of reasons at a number of different points in the food supply chain. Ireland generated approximately 1.1 million tonnes of food waste in 2019 (not including food waste from primary production). Approximately half of food waste is estimated to come from the processing and manufacturing sector with the remainder arising from households, restaurants and food service, and retail and distribution.
The urgency and challenge of addressing food waste is highlighted at international level through Goal 12.3 of the UN Sustainable Development Goals: “By 2030, halve per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels and reduce food losses along production and supply chains, including post-harvest losses”.
The Waste Action Plan for a Circular Economy sets out a number of commitments in relation to food waste prevention. These include working with a range of stakeholders to develop a Food Waste Prevention Roadmap that sets out a series of actions to deliver the reductions necessary to halve our food waste by 2030, meet any other related targets, and promote our transition to a circular economy.
The Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications has prepared a draft National Food Waste Prevention Roadmap which sets out information on:
- Context on food waste and the components of the food supply chain that are included in the roadmap (primary production, manufacturing and processing, retail and distribution, restaurants and food services, and households)
- How Ireland will establish its national baseline data on food waste from which we will achieve a 50% reduction by 2030
- Interim milestones and targets on the way to that 2030 target
- How we will ensure a robust national system for food waste measurement and reporting is established in order to meet Ireland’s reporting obligations and to monitor Ireland’s progress in meeting its UN and EU commitments over the next decade
- A commitment to work together, enhance food waste measurement, and identify and implement key priority actions along the food supply chain to help deliver on Ireland’s commitments on food waste and loss prevention
- The approach to food waste segregation, food donation, the role of research and innovation, and green public procurement in relation to food waste prevention
- A commitment to deliver sustained communications and awareness on food waste prevention;
- How we will establish a monitoring and evaluation framework to check progress of key activities and update the roadmap accordingly
Draft National Food Waste Prevention Roadmap: Download
We invite the public and interested parties to make submissions on the draft Roadmap.
We have provided a template below which contains questions you may find useful when making your submission. You don’t have to answer all questions, and you are free to comment on any part of the draft Roadmap.
Draft National Food Waste Prevention Roadmap Consultation Questions: Download
The closing date for submissions is 5.30pm 24 March 2022
Submissions should be sent by email to foodwaste@decc.gov.ie or by post to:
Public Consultation on the Draft National Food Waste Prevention Roadmap, Waste Policy and Enforcement Division, Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications, Newtown Road, Wexford, Y35 AP90
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