Browsing by Author "Hobson, Suzaan"

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Optimising food loss and waste measurement practices in the South African grocery retail sector
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2023-03) Hobson, Suzaan; De Lange, Willem; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Agrisciences. Dept. of Food Science.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Food loss and waste (FLW) has economic, environmental, and reputational implications for retailers. According to South Africa's FLW Voluntary Agreement, to move towards achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12.3 (reduce FLW by 50% by 2030) the grocery retail sector’s primary response should be to develop a baseline for tonnes of FLW in operations by destination. Without accurate quantification systems in place, the retail sector cannot track progress against targets and identify hotspots. The Voluntary Agreement encourages retailers to use the World Resources Institute’s FLW Accounting and Reporting Standard. It is widely used for quantifying food throughout the supply chain. This research study aimed to determine the appropriateness of the FLW Standard and its complementary reporting template as a tool to accurately quantify FLW for South African retailers. The research procedure involved using data from a major South African retailer to populate the FLW Standard’s reporting template. Qualitative and quantitative FLW secondary data was used for a 3-month trial period across all the retailer’s stores in South Africa. This data was used to identify areas for improvement and to investigate measures that can be taken to reduce FLW in this stage of the food supply chain. It was found that the FLW Standard provides a reliable and consistent methodology for measuring, reporting, and managing FLW. Limitations and challenges were discussed- such as capturing product weight data and streamlining data from contracted waste collectors. The reporting tool was praised for encouraging transparency and guiding the retailer in implementing measurement best practices. Based on the success of the case study it was concluded that the use of this FLW Standard and its reporting template will support South African retailers in their efforts to make progress against the SDG 12.3 target. The study also succeeded in contributing to the knowledge gap pertaining to FLW quantification in the South African retail sector. Several recommendations were made to improve the reporting template for better FLW data optimisation, such as using the results of the reporting template to build a business case for FLW reduction initiatives. Tool plugins linking FLW tonnage to a carbon footprint and other embedded resource statistics are a possible future addition that can be made. It will be beneficial for the retail sector to move towards mandatory FLW reporting; however, retailers should be cognisant that efforts focused on tackling the causes of FLW should be conducted in parallel.