Epsilon Archive for Student Projects

Abstract

The level of food loss and waste (FLW) is very high mainly in developed countries the most
serious social, economic and environmental issues undermining our planet’s sustainability, and
by reducing it some UN Sustainable Development Goals may be achieved. It is in this regard
The European Commission Circular Economy (CE) Package foresees FLW prevention, but to
date few studies have adopted the CE perspective for analysing FLW. In 2017 only 20% of the
world’s 50 largest food companies had established FLW reduction programs. This study
focused on the value chain analysis of organic pasta losses and waste and related greenhouse
gas emission.
Nevertheless, reducing FLW is also beneficial for environmental sustainability since it was
observed that for every dollar invested in reducing FLW there is a saving of 14 dollars in
operating costs that may be used to take care of environment including reducing or preventing
greenhouse gas that are emitted by other causes including those that are emitted by passenger
vehicles, tracks, etc.
Our results showed that in a whole value chain of organic pasta losses and waste, pasta losses
and waste are high at consumption level compared to those of production, processing,
distribution and wholesaling/retailing whereby 17% of purchased pasta are wasted.