Halving food waste by 2030

The statement also highlights new recommendations that have emerged from working together on the Nordic food waste project for four years. 

“The Nordic Region can show how to work together to achieve the sustainability goal and halve food waste by 2030. The food waste project is a prime example of Nordic synergy and the policy recommendations that have emerged from it identify areas worth focusing on as we move forward,” said Sven-Erik Bucht, the Swedish Minister for Rural Affairs.

Primary production, date labelling and redistribution

The Nordic food waste project has trained the spotlight on three areas: primary production, date labelling and the redistribution of food by food banks and via direct distribution. The following overarching recommendations were presented to the ministers at their meeting:

• Set up a Nordic food-waste network and improve resource efficiency in the food system in order to facilitate the spread of good practice and provide input into new joint initiatives.
• Work together to integrate food-waste initiatives into the national agenda 2030 strategies in the Region.
• Harmonise the rules for food redistribution in the Nordic countries in order to prevent waste and remove barriers to a single Nordic food market.

New ways of working together

The ministers decided to continue to work together at Nordic level on reducing food waste and reaffirmed their ambition of halving it by 2030. The nature of the co-operation will be defined on the basis of the recommendations presented by the Nordic Stop Wasting Food Group and by the international sustainability agenda.

Policy Brief: Preventing Food Waste