Optimising food production through managing surpluses and reducing waste
The Sustainable Food and Farming team at ADAS offers a breadth of technical expertise to support businesses in optimising food production through managing surpluses and reducing waste.
ADAS works directly with the Waste Resource Action Programme (WRAP) as advisors to their sector specific working groups, and with WRAP’s Courtauld Signatory companies across their direct operations and supply chains to measure and identify where action is needed to reduce resource waste in their food supply network.
Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
Goal 12 includes a target to halve per capita food waste at the retail and consumer levels and reduce food losses along production and supply chains, including post-harvest losses by 2030
ADAS consultants support food sector businesses in improving resource efficiency of production, managing surpluses and reducing waste in agricultural supply chains. Areas of support include:
- Reducing on-farm waste
- Working with UK beef, sheep, pig and poultry producers to establish new key performance indicators to promote more resource efficient production.
- Collaborating with in-house researchers to increase shelf life for horticultural crops through varietal and crop management trials.
- Measuring and monitoring GHG emissions arising from raw material production, storage and distribution.
- Engaging with producers and producer groups to promote best practice to improve efficiency of resource use and reduction of supply chain waste.
- Facilitating the relationship between producers and food redistribution charities to promote “gleaning” activities to channel surplus crops to the disadvantaged.
- Identifying appropriate technology that may be used to reduce incidence of waste in storage and distribution e.g. electronic potato to reduce bruising.
Reducing operational waste
- Supporting businesses by working collaboratively with relevant stakeholders to assess waste hotspots throughout the supply chain using a value chain approach.
- Quantifying incidence of food waste by suggesting appropriate tools and methodologies to measure and monitor where waste is occurring.
- Developing strategic food waste reduction plans to include targets and protocols to help achieve targets.
- Waste mapping to identify alternative uses for waste products, developing circular approaches to encourage recycling, reusing and valorisation of waste materials.
Leslie Berger
Senior Consultant, Sustainable Food and Farming
leslie.berger@adas.co.uk
+44 (0) 1954 268229