TORONTO, - Second Harvest, Canada's largest food rescue organization, has commissioned Value Chain Management International (VCMI), a leading public and industry voice in the area of food waste, to co-author and provide a five-year update to the groundbreaking research report, The Avoidable Crisis of Food Waste.
Originally published in 2019, The Avoidable Crisis of Food Waste revealed that 58% of the food produced in Canada was wasted each year, with 32% of this waste being avoidable. An updated report, scheduled for release later this year, will offer new insights and track the progress of efforts to reduce food waste nationwide. This update will also emphasize the impact of best before dates and climate change on food waste throughout Canada's entire supply chain.
The original report was the very first to quantify food loss and waste within the Canadian food supply chain. It underscored the financial, environmental, and social costs associated with food waste, amounting to a staggering $49.46 billion annually.
"The 2019 report was a wake-up call for all stakeholders in the food industry, emphasizing the urgent need for action to mitigate food waste," said Lori Nikkel, CEO of Second Harvest. "Building on this foundation, our updated research will delve deeper into the progress made, challenges remaining, and new strategies emerging to address this critical issue."