The Target remains aligned to SDG target 12.3, but the milestones across ‘Target, Measure, Act’ have been adjusted to reflect the progress made to date and what needs to happen to achieve the approaching ambitious target.
The changes include:
- Target: Emphasising that best practice is to set a target that ‘meets or exceeds’ SDG target 12.3.
- Measure: Clarifying that ‘measure’ means ‘measure and report to WRAP.’
- Act: There are now separate milestones for each of the three action areas of operational food waste, collaborative action and citizen food waste so that progress can be tracked, and relevant action taken to accelerate progress further if required.
As of December 2022, 351 UK organisations committed to ‘Target, Measure, Act’ to cut their food waste, working in partnership with their suppliers and supporting consumers in reducing their food waste.
Helen Bird, head of business collaboration at WRAP, which with the IGD is overseeing the implementation of the Food Waste Reduction Roadmap, said: “The changes will help businesses to prepare for current and potential new regulation, including helping businesses move towards a position of mandatory reporting should it be required.
“There has never been greater urgency for businesses to tackle the issue of wasted food for the benefit of people, planet and profit. Four years since the launch of the Food Waste Reduction Roadmap, it is helping more businesses than ever before. Our latest data unsurprisingly highlights that the longer businesses are working towards the targets, measuring progress, and taking action, the greater the reductions in reported food waste.
“Signing up to the Roadmap and the Courtauld Commitment should be on the agenda for every food business chief executive and finance director. It provides practical advice to save food waste while cutting costs and the associated green-house gas emissions across the supply chain.”
What the Roadmap has already achieved:
- 351 organisations including trade bodies, redistribution organisations, companies involved in waste management committed to the Roadmap, an increase of 10% on the previous year.
- 221 large businesses are implementing ‘Target, Measure, Act,’ an increase of 7% on the previous year.
- 89% of large businesses that signed up are now following through on that commitment by providing evidence of how they have implemented ‘Target, Measure, Act.’