The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) estimates that annually 1.3 billion tonnes of food go to waste. Based on these numbers, the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) has now published an article estimating 2.1 billions tonnes of food waste and loss by 2030 if business as usual continues. In the face of these numbers the EU aims to halve food waste and loss by 2030.

Food waste and loss occurs along the entire supply chain, which is why interventions need to take place at every step of the way. One way to significantly decrease food was, as suggested by BCG, is to localize food supply chains which can help to reduce spoilage during transport and helps to keep produce fresh.

Public procurement can be geared toward localized sourcing of food for public institutions. During the SPP (Sustainable Public procurement) Regions project, the French region Vendée has awarded five framework contracts localizing the food supply for their school canteens. In the same projects, the City of Bath has developed a tender to ensure local food supply for its public schools. Both tender models can be accessed on the SPP regions project website.

For more information on the EU strategy on food waste click here. More information about the SPP Regions project can be found here.