Comparison
General definition
For the purposes of this report, food loss and waste is understood as the decrease in quantity or quality of food along the food supply chain. Food refers to any substance, whether processed, semi-processed or raw, intended for human consumption.
Food loss is the decrease in the quantity or quality of food resulting from decisions and actions by food suppliers from the production stage in the chain, excluding retail, food service providers and consumers. Food waste is the decrease in the quantity or quality of food resulting from decisions and actions by retailers, food services and consumers.
Quantitative food loss and waste (also referred to as physical food loss and waste) is the decrease in the mass of food destined for human consumption as it is removed from the food supply chain. Qualitative food loss and waste refers to the decrease in food attributes that reduces its value in terms of intended use. It can result in reduced nutritional value (e.g. smaller amounts of vitamin C in bruised fruits) and/or the economic value of food because of non-compliance with quality standards.
Food that has suffered a qualitative loss or waste but is still eaten by humans is not considered a quantitative loss or waste. If either consumers or suppliers discard such food, it is characterized as quantitative food loss or waste, unless diverted to productive use.
Food loss and waste includes both ‘food’ intended for human consumption and its associated ‘inedible parts’. Food loss and waste covers all possible destinations that leave the human food supply chain, excluding the destinations animal feed and biobased materials/biochemical processing, but including “not harvested/plowed-in”.
Food loss and waste refers to the edible parts of plants and animals produced or harvested for human consumption but not ultimately consumed by people.
Food waste is any food, and inedible parts of food, removed from the food supply chain to be recovered or disposed (including composted, crops ploughed in/not harvested, anaerobic digestion, bio-energy production, co-generation, incineration, disposal to sewer, landfill or discarded to sea), but excluding animal feed and bio-based materials/biochemical processing. There is no separate definition for food loss.
'Food waste is all unprocessed, partially processed or processed product that, produced for human consumption intend to be, or reasonably expected to be ingested by humans, but which the holder discards or intends or is required to discard. including edible and inedible parts, excluding animal feed, ingredients and chemicals as destination.
From these pieces of information: food waste means all food as defined in Article 2 of Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council (*) that has become waste; Food (or ‘foodstuff’) means any substance or product, whether processed, partially processed or unprocessed, intended to be, or reasonably expected to be ingested by humans.
Scope on-farm losses
Food products can be of animal or plant origin and are considered food from the moment that: (i) crops are harvest-mature or suitable for their purpose; (ii) animals are ready for slaughter; (iii) milk is drawn from the udder; (iv) eggs are laid by a bird; (v) aquaculture fish is mature in the pond; and (vi) wild fish are caught with fishing gear.
(i) agricultural production and harvest/ slaughter/catch; (ii) post-harvest/slaughter/catch operations; (iii) storage; (iv) transportation;
(v) processing; (vi) wholesale and retail; and (vii) consumption by households and food services. Agricultural production, harvest and post-harvest/
slaughter/catch operations refer to activities where produce is still on the farm or the producer’s premises.
One should interpret Target 12.3 as covering the entire food supply chain, from the point that crops and livestock are ready for harvest or slaughter.
Produce refers to the point at which the raw material for food are ready for harvest or slaughter (i.e., ready to enter the economic and technical system for food production or home-grown consumption). Examples of what might be considered 'ready to harvest or slaughter' include the following:
- Crops that are harvest-mature or suitable for their purpose
- Fruit and berries that are mature for harvest
- Wild crops, fruits and berries that are harvested
- Animals ready for slaughter
- Wild animals caught or killed (live-weight)
- Milk drawn from the udder
- Eggs laid by the bird
- Aquaculture fish mature in the pond.
The food supply chain starts when the raw materials for food are ready to enter the economic and technical system for food production or home-grown consumption . This is a key distinction in that any products ready for harvest or slaughter being removed are within scope, not just those that are harvested and subsequently not used. It ends when the food is consumed or ‘removed’ from the food supply chain.
FLW definition starts at primary production from the moment of harvesting (plants) or live animals placed on the market for human consumption, which means when they are ready to offer for sale. Based on this information: Food does not include live animals unless they are prepared for placing on the market for human consumption and plants prior to harvesting. ‘placing on the market’ means the holding of food or feed for the purpose of sale, including offering for sale or any other form of transfer, whether free of charge or not, and the sale, distribution, and other forms of transfer themselves.