Press release
New National Food Waste Prevention Roadmap can help reduce food waste by 50% by 2030
From Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications
Published on
Last updated on
Ireland’s new National Food Waste Prevention Roadmap 2023-2025, which sets out how we can dramatically cut down on our food waste by 2030, was launched today by Ossian Smyth, Minister of State with responsibility for the Circular Economy at the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications.
The Roadmap sets out actions that can be taken over the coming 3 years, which will set Ireland on course to reduce food waste by 50% by 2030. The strategy was launched with FoodCloud, which connects businesses that have excess food with charities and communities who can put it to good and safe use to help households in most need.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that Ireland generated about 770,316 tonnes of food waste in 2020. Households were the biggest producers of food waste, accounting for 31% of the total in 2020, followed by the food and beverage manufacturing and processing sector, which accounted for an estimated 29% of all food waste produced. The remainder came from restaurants and food service (23%), primary production (9%), and retail and other distribution of food (8%).
Food waste is a huge global problem that has environmental, social and economic consequences. Substantial resources are needed for the growing, processing, transportation and storage of food. Food waste has a significant impact on the production of carbon emissions so cutting down on it can help to meet Ireland’s overall emissions targets.
The new roadmap, which was the subject of a public consultation in early 2022, sets out priority actions on areas such as how food waste can be reduced in the first place, segregation of food waste, safe donation of food, as well as research, and the role of effective communications and awareness-raising in helping to change behaviours. The document also looks at the role of the public sector in tackling food waste by improving procurement practices.
Ireland is committed to reducing food waste by 50% by 2030 in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The development of a National Food Waste Prevention Roadmap is also included as a commitment in Ireland’s Waste Action Plan for a Circular Economy, Food Vision 2030, and the government’s Climate Action Plan 2021.
Commenting on today’s launch, Minister Smyth said:
"Tackling food loss and food waste is one of the key steps we can all take to help combat climate change and support Ireland’s transition to a circular economy. Food waste happens at every stage of the food chain. It doesn’t make sense and it’s something we have to tackle if we are to reach our overall emissions targets. It’s also something that we know people want to see addressed from our consultations. Everyone along the food chain, from producers to consumers, can play a role in preventing food waste in the first place, and then dealing with excess food that might occur in a more sustainable way than just throwing it away as the first and only option."
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 12.3 aims, by 2030, to 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 Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine is the lead department for UN Sustainable Development Goal 12.3.
Welcoming today’s launch, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue, said:
"The roadmap is an important strategy to help all stakeholders in the agri-food sector, including retailers, food service, consumer representatives, and primary producers to participate in collective efforts to reduce food loss and food waste. Tackling food waste is one of the great challenges of our time. If we can address food waste effectively, there are significant health as well as climate benefits.
"My department looks forward to working collaboratively with the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications and other key stakeholders on reducing food waste and food loss through implementation of this roadmap."
The Programme for Government, ‘Our Shared Future’ commits to continuing to work to minimise food waste across the economy. The development of a national food waste prevention roadmap is included as a commitment in Ireland’s Waste Action Plan for a Circular Economy, Food Vision 2030, and the government’s 2021 Climate Action Plan.
The Circular Economy and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2022 (the Act) provides the statutory basis for the preparation of a national food waste prevention strategy. In preparing this strategy, the Minister shall take into account, inter alia, the Circular Economy Strategy, which is to be prepared in accordance with Section 7 of the act. As a statutory Circular Economy Strategy has not yet been adopted, the National Food Waste Prevention Roadmap 2023-2025 has been prepared and approved on a non-statutory basis.
The next iteration of the National Food Waste Prevention Roadmap will be prepared on a statutory basis following publication of a circular economy strategy that has been prepared in accordance with the act.
The National Food Waste Prevention Roadmap 2023-2025 includes:
The Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications is the lead government department in developing Ireland’s National Food Waste Prevention Roadmap, and in the coordination and review of its implementation.
The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine is the lead government department for UN SDG12.3. Both departments are committed to working closely together to pursue ambitious food loss and food waste reductions that contribute effectively to the implementation of the roadmap.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will play a key operational role in driving implementation of key actions in the roadmap, particularly in the context of their continued responsibility in delivering Ireland’s National Food Waste Prevention Programme and annual reporting on Ireland’s national food waste statistics.
The EPA’s National Food Waste Prevention Programme is implemented through the Circular Economy Programme 2021-2027. The programme works across three core areas of: Household, Supply Chain, and Hospitality.
Guidance and tips on household food waste prevention are available through the national campaign: StopFoodWaste.ie.
Information and guidance to support businesses to reduce food waste is available at Ireland’s Food Waste Charter. This national initiative is led by the EPA.