Mitigate: Food Loss & Waste Reduction
Reducing Food Waste Is a Huge Opportunity to Reverse Climate Change while Capturing Significant Cost Savings for Your Organization
We throw away a lot of food. Perfectly edible food. Food that takes land, labor, water and energy to produce, package, ship, sell, store, prepare and put on your plate. (Phew, what a sentence!)
Globally, nearly 40% of the food we grow never gets eaten. That loss carries a heavy toll—not just on our economies, but on the planet too. If food waste were a country, it would be the third largest emitter of greenhouse gases, after China and the United States.
The good news? The scale of the problem is matched by the size of the opportunity. Reducing food waste is one of the biggest and most achievable climate solutions there is. In fact, Project Drawdown ranks it at the top . It’s also one of the best ways to help alleviate global hunger.
Few issues intersect so clearly with climate, equity and economics. Fewer still are this solvable.
Systemic change is already underway
National and regional food waste strategies have gained momentum in recent years—many inspired by the UK’s pioneering WRAP initiative. WRAP set the standard for cross-sector collaboration, data sharing and practical tools to reduce food waste at scale.
Other countries have followed suit. The U.S. Food Waste Pact, New Zealand’s Kai Commitment and End Food Waste Australia all build on this model, aligning industry actors around shared goals and proven practices.
Across borders, these efforts reflect a universal truth: systemic change requires collective action.
Systems don’t change on their own. They shift when people shift. And that means each of us—no matter where we work or live—has a meaningful role to play in fighting food waste.
Effective strategies to cut food waste at work
There are proven strategies to minimize and prevent food waste no matter where you work, whether it’s in a field, factory, kitchen or office. Here are five actions every workplace can take:
-
Track what gets tossed—and why. Waste audits or simple tally sheets can uncover patterns, from meal overproduction to poor storage practices.
-
Follow the FIFO method. “First in, first out” systems help ensure older food items are used before newer inventory to avoid unnecessary spoilage.
-
Right-size portions. Serving smaller portions (with the option for more) dramatically cuts plate waste in restaurant and cafeteria settings.
-
Use or donate what you can. Slightly damaged produce, day-old bread, or excess inventory can often be donated or upcycled instead of thrown in the trash.
-
Educate and engage your team. Employees are in the best position to notice where and why waste happens. Give them the tools to get inspired, share ideas, track improvements, and lead simple challenges to reduce or even eliminate food waste.
Small habits add up at home
Even small shifts at home can make a meaningful difference. Here are a few easy ways to cut food waste in daily life. Many of these climate-friendly hacks are easy on your grocery bill, too:
-
Plan meals and shop your fridge first. Know and use what you already have before buying more.
-
Understand labels. “Best by” doesn’t mean “bad after.” Trust your judgement.
-
Proper food storage is crucial. Knowing how to store food and whether items need to be in the refrigerator, a pantry, or on the counter can make a big difference in its longevity.
-
Get creative with leftovers. Smoothies, soups and stir-fries are great ways to use what’s on hand, including fruits and vegetables that are overripe but still edible.
Want to go deeper? Check out the Mitigate course
If you work in or support the food industry and want to take meaningful action on food waste, there’s a course designed just for you.
Mitigate: A Food Loss & Waste Reduction Course is a practical, self-paced training now available through ISSP. It helps professionals identify where food waste happens—and what to do about it—through expert interviews, real-world case studies and actionable strategies delivered in short videos, fun quizzes, and accessible modules.
The full course includes nine modules covering the entire food system—from farms to households. But if you're looking for something more tailored, you can also enroll in a short course focused on the sector most relevant to your work—like manufacturing, food service or hospitality.
Developed by TripleWin Advisory based on pioneering interventions for the Pacific Coast Food Waste Commitment and the U.S. Food Waste Pact, Mitigate equips individuals and teams to make a measurable impact—cutting costs, improving operations and helping organizations meet their sustainability goals, including Scope 3 emissions, food waste reduction and landfill diversion targets.
You can find the course in the ISSP on-demand course directory.
A future without food waste is possible
We already know what works. We have everything we need to create a future without climate-destabilizing food waste.
This is one of those rare sustainability challenges where the path forward is clear, the benefits are shared and the power to change it is in our hands. Not someday in the future—today. And tomorrow. And the next day, and the day after that. Let’s waste less food, feed more people and create a future we can all feel proud of.
