Food Loss and Waste Accounting and Reporting Standard
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VERSION 1.0 Food Loss and Waste Accounting and Reporting Standard FLW Protocol Steering Committee and Authors Craig Hanson, Brian Lipinski, Kai Robertson: World Resources Institute (WRI), Secretariat Debora Dias, Ignacio Gavilan, Pascal Gréverath (Nestlé), Sabine Ritter: The Consumer Goods Forum (CGF) Jorge Fonseca, Robert VanOtterdijk: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Toine Timmermans: EU-funded FUSIONS project James Lomax, Clementine O’Connor: United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Andy Dawe, Richard Swannell: WRAP (The Waste and Resources Action Programme) Violaine Berger, Matthew Reddy, Dalma Somogyi: World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) Other Contributing Authors Bruno Tran (Chair of Upstream Technical Working Group), Natural Resources Institute (NRI), University of Greenwich Barbara Leach (Chair of Downstream Technical Working Group), WRAP Tom Quested, WRAP Table of Contents Foreword 4 About the FLW Protocol 5 About Development of the FLW Standard 6 Guide to the Structure of this Document 7 PART I: OVERVIEW 1. Introduction 10 2. Definition of Terms and Applications 14 3. Goals of Quantifying FLW 20 4. Summary of Steps and Requirements 24 5. Principles of FLW Accounting and Reporting 28 PART II: MAIN REQUIREMENTS 6. Establishing the Scope of an FLW Inventory 34 7. Deciding How to Quantify FLW 58 PART III: OTHER REQUIREMENTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 8. Collecting, Calculating, and Analyzing Data 66 9. Assessing Uncertainty 76 10. Coordinating the Analysis of Multiple FLW Inventories 82 11. Recording Causes of FLW 90 12. Review and Assurance 94 13. Reporting 100 14. Setting Targets and Tracking Changes over Time 106 APPENDICES Appendix A. Approaches to Sampling and Scaling Up Data 112 Appendix B. Separating Material Types: Data Sources for Conversion Factors Applied to Individual Items 121 Appendix C. Normalizing Data 125 Appendix D. Expressing Weight of FLW in Other Terms or Units of Measurement 128 Appendix E. Quantifying and Reporting the Weight of Food Rescued 136 Glossary 140 References 146 Endnotes 149 Recognitions 153 Food Loss and Waste Accounting and Reporting Standard | 1 Detailed Table of Contents FOREWORD 4 5. PRINCIPLES OF FLW ACCOUNTING AND REPORTING 27 ABOUT THE FLW PROTOCOL 5 5.1 Explanation of the Principles and ABOUT DEVELOPMENT OF THE FLW STANDARD 6 Guidance on Their Application 29 5.2 Guidance: Disclosing and Justifying Exclusions 31 GUIDE TO THE STRUCTURE OF THIS DOCUMENT 7 PART II: MAIN REQUIREMENTS PART I: OVERVIEW 1. INTRODUCTION 10 6. ESTABLISHING THE SCOPE OF AN FLW INVENTORY 34 1.1 Purpose and Vision 11 6.1 Guide to Chapter 6 35 1.2 The Need for an Accounting and Reporting Standard 11 6.2 Defining the Scope of an FLW Inventory 36 1.3 How the Standard Can be Used 12 6.3 Timeframe 36 1.4 Guiding Principles and Design of the Standard 12 6.4 Material Type 38 2. DEFINITION OF TERMS AND APPLICATIONS 14 6.5 Destination 40 2.1 Standard Terminology: Shall, Should, and May 15 6.6 Boundary 47 2.2 Material Types and Possible Destinations 15 6.7 Related Issues 53 2.3 Definitions of “Loss and Waste” 17 6.8 The Influence of Goals 55 2.4 How the Standard Addresses the Environmental, Nutritional, or Financial Implications of FLW 17 7. DECIDING HOW TO QUANTIFY FLW 58 2.5 How the Standard Applies to Certain 7.1 Selecting a Method for Quantifying FLW 59 Components of the Food Supply Chain 17 7.2 Overview of Quantification Methods 61 2.6 Using the Standard to Make Comparisons among Entities 18 PART III: OTHER REQUIREMENTS 3. GOALS OF QUANTIFYING FLW 20 AND RECOMMENDATIONS 3.1 Mandatory and Voluntary Goals 22 8. COLLECTING, CALCULATING, 3.2 The Implications of Choosing Different Goals 23 AND ANALYZING DATA 66 8.1 Sampling and Scaling up Data 67 4. SUMMARY OF STEPS AND REQUIREMENTS 24 8.2 Quantifying Material Types (Food and 4.1 Accounting and Reporting Steps 25 Associated Inedible Parts) Separately 68 4.2 Summary of Requirements 26 8.3 Accounting for Packaging 71 8.4 Analyzing FLW Data across Multiple Stages in a Food Supply Chain 73 8.5 Confidentiality Considerations 75 2 | Food Loss + Waste Protocol 9. ASSESSING UNCERTAINTY 76 APPENDIX B. SEPARATING MATERIAL TYPES: 9.1 Reporting Degree of Uncertainty 77 DATA SOURCES FOR CONVERSION FACTORS APPLIED TO INDIVIDUAL ITEMS 121 9.2 Qualitative Descriptions 77 B1 Introduction 121 9.3 Quantitative Assessments 80 B2 Choosing a Data Source for Conversion Factors 121 9.4 Considerations when Communicating Results 81 B3 General Sources of Data for Conversion Factors 122 10. COORDINATING THE ANALYSIS OF B4 Sector-Specific Sources of Data for MULTIPLE FLW INVENTORIES 82 Conversion Factors 123 10.1 Activities and Goals of Coordinating Entities 83 APPENDIX C. NORMALIZING DATA 125 10.2 Specifying the Scope and Methodology across C1 Introduction 125 Multiple Inventories 83 C2 Selecting a Normalization Factor 125 10.3 Guidance: Coordinating a Government-Level FLW Inventory across Sectors 85 C3 Reporting and Communicating about Normalized Data 127 11. RECORDING CAUSES OF FLW 90 11.1 Identifying Causes 91 APPENDIX D. EXPRESSING WEIGHT OF FLW IN OTHER TERMS OR UNITS OF MEASUREMENT 128 11.2 Identifying Drivers 91 D1 Introduction 128 11.3 How to Record and Report Causes and Drivers 93 D2 General Considerations 128 12. REVIEW AND ASSURANCE 94 D3 Environmental Impacts 129 12.1 Key Terms in Assurance 95 D4 Nutritional Content 133 12.2 The Assurance Process 96 D5 Financial Implications 134 13. REPORTING 100 APPENDIX E. QUANTIFYING AND REPORTING THE WEIGHT OF FOOD RESCUED 136 13.1 Guidance on Reporting 101 E1 Introduction 136 13.2 Required Information 103 E2 Steps for Quantifying the Weight of Food Rescued 136 13.3 Optional Reporting 103 E3 Guidance: Defining and Describing the Scope 137 14. SETTING TARGETS AND TRACKING E4 Guidance: Selecting the Method(s) for CHANGES OVER TIME 106 Quantifying the Weight 138 14.1 Selecting a Base Year 107 E5 Other Considerations Related to Food Rescue 139 14.2 Identifying the Scope of the Target 107 14.3 Choosing a Target 108 GLOSSARY 140 14.4 Monitoring Performance Against Targets 109 REFERENCES 147 14.5 Recalculating Base Year FLW 110 ENDNOTES 150 RECOGNITIONS 154 APPENDICES APPENDIX A. APPROACHES TO SAMPLING AND SCALING UP DATA 112 A1 Introduction 112 A2 Guidance on Sampling 112 A3 Guidance on Scaling up Data 118 Food Loss and Waste Accounting and Reporting Standard | 3 Foreword Did you know that an estimated one-third of all food is 12.3—call for cutting per capita global food waste in lost or wasted as it moves from where it is produced to half at retail and consumer levels and reducing food where it is eaten? losses along production and supply chains (including post-harvest losses) by 2030. This has major economic, social, and environmental impacts, causing as much as $940 billion per year in eco- We have all heard the business adage: “what gets mea- nomic losses and exacerbating food insecurity and mal- sured gets managed.” We believe this applies to food loss nutrition. The associated cost goes well beyond money: and waste as well. That is why our institutions, which lost and wasted food consumes a quarter of all water used comprise the Food Loss & Waste Protocol partners, by agriculture annually, requires cropland area the size developed the global Food Loss and Waste Accounting and of China, and generates an estimated 8 percent of global Reporting Standard (FLW Standard) to provide require- greenhouse gas emissions. In fact, if lost and wasted food ments and guidance for governments, companies, and were a country, it would be the third-largest greenhouse gas other entities. emitter on the planet behind China and the United States. By developing inventories in conformance with the Reducing food loss and waste therefore can be a triple FLW Standard, countries, cities, companies, and others win: (1) it saves money for farmers, companies, and will be able to better understand how much food loss households; (2) wasting less becomes an opportunity to and waste is generated and where it goes. Such informa- feed more; and (3) reductions ease the pressure on water, tion is critical for developing efective reduction strate- land, and the climate. gies and monitoring progress over time. Ultimately, this can bring economic, environmental, food security, and Cutting food loss and waste can also help countries and nutritional benefts. companies meet international and corporate agreements, including the Paris Agreement on climate change. The We hope the FLW Standard inspires and facilitates your Sustainable Development Goals—specifcally SDG Target eforts to measure so you can successfully manage. Peter Freedman Toine Timmermans Achim Steiner Managing Director Project Coordinator Executive Director The Consumer Goods Forum FUSIONS United Nations Environment Programme Peter Bakker Liz Goodwin Andrew Steer President and CEO CEO President and CEO World Business Council for WRAP (The Waste and World Resources Institute Sustainable Development Resources Action Programme) 4 | Food Loss + Waste Protocol About the FLW Protocol The Food Loss & Waste Protocol (FLW Protocol) is a A Steering Committee of expert institutions provided multi-stakeholder partnership, which has developed technical input, strategic direction, and quality control the global Food Loss and Waste Accounting and Reporting throughout the standard’s development. The Steering Standard (or FLW Standard) for quantifying food and/or Committee consists of The Consumer Goods Forum (CGF), associated inedible parts removed from the food supply Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations chain (referred to commonly as “food loss and waste” and (FAO), EU-funded FUSIONS project,1 United Nations abbreviated as FLW). Launched in 2013, the mission of the Environment Programme (UNEP), World Business FLW Protocol is to develop an internationally accepted Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), WRAP FLW accounting and reporting standard and associated (The Waste and Resources Action Programme), and tools, and to promote their adoption so entities are better World Resources Institute (WRI), which also serves as informed and motivated to take appropriate steps to Secretariat leading the drafting and review process.