According to the latest report from ReFED and the U.S. Food Waste Pact, the American retail and foodservice sectors are showing encouraging signs of progress in the fight against food waste. Data covering the period from 2019 to 2023 indicates that companies participating in the pact have made significant strides in reducing surplus food, a move critical to achieving national reduction goals by 2030.
Reducing food waste is not only an economic imperative but also a critical environmental necessity, and the latest U.S. Food Waste Pact report suggests that some of the nation’s largest market players are on the right track. Fresh data reveals a measurable decline in the ratio of surplus food within both the retail and foodservice sectors. Given that approximately 38% of all food in the United States goes unsold or uneaten, the improvements seen in these sectors could have a profound impact on the country’s carbon footprint and resource management.
The report highlights that through systematic data collection and targeted interventions, the corporate sector can effectively combat waste. Using 2019 as a baseline year, the document examines trends across two primary categories: grocery retail and the foodservice sector.
Retail Sector: Smarter Inventory and Less Surplus
In the grocery retail sector, the report shows a steady shift toward sustainability. Key quantitative metrics include:
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Surplus Reduction: The ratio of surplus food relative to total sales decreased by 2.1% during the 2019–2023 period.
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Identified Drivers: Success in this area is attributed to more accurate demand forecasting, dynamic pricing models, and enhanced inventory tracking.
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Key Participants: The report includes data from industry giants such as ALDI US, Walmart, Ahold Delhaize USA, Kroger, Meijer, and Whole Foods Market.
While a 2.1% improvement may seem modest, given the massive scale of the U.S. retail sector, this represents thousands of tons of saved food and significant cost savings for the participating companies.
Foodservice: Dramatic Improvements in Efficiency
The most striking results were achieved in the foodservice and catering sectors, where waste per unit of service has seen a drastic reduction:
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Specific Progress: The amount of surplus food per meal served has dropped by 12.3% since 2019.
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Innovation in the Kitchen: Success in this sector was driven by more precise portion sizing, menu optimization, and the implementation of “waste-free” culinary techniques.
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Professional Providers: Leading service providers contributing data to the report include Aramark, Sodexo, Compass Group, and Sodexo Live!.
The National Picture: The Fate of 88 Million Tons
The report places these findings in a broader context, illustrating the global challenges facing the American food system. The data paints a stark picture of the current state of national waste:
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Total Waste Volume: Approximately 88 million tons of food go unsold or uneaten in the United States annually.
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Economic Toll: This loss represents an annual value of $473 billion.
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Environmental Impact: Food waste is responsible for 6.1% of the total greenhouse gas emissions in the United States.
Signatories of the Pact aim to reduce food waste by 50% within their own operations by 2030, aligning with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Strategies and Solutions: How Companies Are Responding
The report does more than just record data; it identifies successful intervention points. The 14 participating organizations are attacking the problem on multiple fronts:
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Donation: Directing unsold but perfectly edible food to food banks and local charities.
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Upcycling: Developing products that use “rescued” food as primary ingredients (e.g., fruit juices made from aesthetically imperfect produce).
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Technological Advancements: Utilizing AI-driven systems to determine order quantities with pinpoint accuracy.
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Consumer Education: Helping shoppers better understand “best by” and “use by” dates to reduce household-level waste.
Conclusion and Future Outlook
The report clearly demonstrates that voluntary corporate collaboration can achieve structural change. While reaching the 50% national reduction target will require further intensive efforts, the data from 2019 to 2023 proves that the trend can be reversed. The next step involves expanding the Pact to include more suppliers and smaller market players to ensure the entire supply chain becomes transparent and sustainable.
Official Sources and References:
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U.S. Food Waste Pact Report (ReFED): U.S. Food Waste Pact Report Shows Less Food Being Wasted
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ReFED Insights Engine (Database): https://insights.refed.org/
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U.S. EPA – 2030 Food Loss and Waste Reduction Goal: https://www.epa.gov/sustainable-management-food/united-states-2030-food-loss-and-waste-reduction-goal
