8 innovative solutions for fighting food waste

This article has been updated.

Many of us waste food now and then – the odd plate of leftovers or fresh produce that has gone bad. But, over time, that squandered food adds up.

On average, households across the globe waste over 1 billion meals' worth of edible food every day, according to the United Nations Environment Programme. This is the equivalent of 1.3 meals every day for everyone in the world affected by hunger.

In all, an estimated 19% of food produced is wasted by households, retailers and the food service sector, while about 13% is lost between harvest and retail.

This food loss and waste accounts for 8-10% of annual greenhouse gas emissions and costs an estimated $1 trillion annually. It's a global problem, and one that cities and countries are moving to address.

New York City, for example, has made composting mandatory and begun fining people who fail to separate food from other waste. France has implemented compulsory composting for households and businesses, too. Composting rules in South Korea have helped the country slash the amount of food it throws away to recycle close to 100% annually. And the United Nations says that public-private partnerships are helping to cut food waste, including in Japan and the UK, with reductions of 18% and 31% respectively.

Innovative solutions are also being developed to tackle the challenge – here are some examples from around the globe.

In Dubai, food waste gathered from farms, restaurants and hotels is being given a new life as fertilizer to improve soil health, which is a vital component of resilient food systems.

The project has diverted more than 1 million kilograms of the UAE's food waste from landfill since it started in 2021.

A Geneva-based not-for-profit initiative is providing free-access public refrigerators and food shelves on city streets, so cooks of all descriptions can stock them with food that’s about to go bad. People passing by can then help themselves to fruit, vegetables, bakery products and other perishable food items at no cost.

No frozen items, opened food containers, prepared meals of alcohol are permitted in the fridges to safeguard public health, and most deposits are usually snapped up within hours, programme director Marine Delevaux told AP.

Similar food sharing initiatives are in place in Switzerland’s capital city Bern and elsewhere, with the idea imported from across the border in Germany where similar schemes have been in operation for more than a decade.

Misshapen or blemished fruits and vegetables are often rejected by large retailers, despite being perfectly edible.

But in countries including Australia, these irregular perishable items now make up cut-price ‘imperfect’ fruit and vegetable subscription boxes that are delivered to consumers.

Australia generates 7.6 million tonnes of annual food waste, so utilizing what some describe as ‘ugly’ food items helps reduce water and land consumption and prevents unnecessary greenhouse gas emissions.

Saudi Arabia’s hot climate and sandy terrain means the country is heavily reliant on imported foods.

However, one initiative is using hydroponic – water-based – agriculture to produce fresh foods locally and reduce reliance on imports.

The innovative business model places mini hydroponic vertical farms in retail outlets, which can produce greens as and when needed. Fresh produce can be delivered from harvest to consumer within 45 minutes which reduces food waste from 40% to almost zero.

Recycled drainage water is filtered and used to irrigate plants, so the mini farms use 90% less water and can produce fresh produce in the harshest of climates.

Another farm-to-consumer scheme is reducing food waste in Asia. Solar-powered dryers and processing equipment are used to salvage wasted or spoiled crops, helping small-holder farmers turn unwanted produce into non-perishable food ingredients that can be sold.

The ingredients are made fit for the consumer at a central processing unit so they can be supplied as ingredients to the food and beverage sector.

Unwanted or inedible food deposits can form a breeding ground for bacteria and diseases, which can impact public health.

In Malaysia, on-site food composters use a specially formulated composting enzyme to convert all types of organic waste into compost, including garden waste, raw kitchen scraps, cooked food waste and compostable food packaging.

The portable composters can be used at home, food service outlets or at event sites and contain a biotech filtration system to neutralize foul odours.

Protective stickers coated in a plant-based antimicrobial substance can slow down the ripening process of fruit, extending its shelf-life by up to two weeks.

The non-toxic stickers emulate the chemicals found naturally in plants to protect fruits like apples, avocados, mangoes and citrus fruits from fungal infections.

This low-cost, easy-to-apply innovation eliminates the need for protective sprays or coatings to prevent bacterial infections and preserve fruit products.

An AI-powered dynamic pricing app developed in Europe helps supermarkets and online grocery outlets sell more of their perishable goods and reduce food waste.

Retailers add their stock data to the pricing engine, which applies dynamic pricing to perishable items based on their freshness. Fruits, vegetables and other fresh items are marked down in price as they near their expiry date – so consumers pay less, retailers sell more and there is less wasted food. So far, food waste in partner shops has decreased by 39% using the system.

As addressing the food waste issue becomes ever-more important, the World Economic Forum’s Food Innovation Hubs initiative is scaling up innovations to make food systems more sustainable, efficient, inclusive and healthy. Through national and regional hubs, it is working to strengthen innovation ecosystems to transform the world's approach to producing and consuming food.