Repackaging the Food Story

TALK OF IT IS EVERYWHERE these days: why do we throw out so much good food when families are going hungry? Answers abound, but in recent months increased attention has been directed towards grocery stores and some actions that are, and can be, taken to cut into all that waste.Key to much of recent efforts to divert some of the billions of dollars of food from being tossed out is that businesses themselves are coming to terms with the cost savings they could accrue through more efficient methods. Maximizing profits while cutting costs has been a mantra for businesses since the birth of capitalism and food companies and stores are now applying that method to food waste.For decades the practice of “stack ‘em high and watch ‘em fly” witnessed food stores pile an over-abundance of fresh product on their shelves in the belief that customers felt more inclined to select more than they required. But research is revealing that such stacks created more spoiled product than necessary and extra staff time was required to clean up the mess. Some stores then began makes the piles lower only to discover that customers like their shopping experience better because the produce on display was roughly three days fresher than previous. The end result was that sales rose, less produce was tossed out, and customer satisfaction rose. It also turns out that that better packaging also absorbs food odours that would otherwise prompt consumers to think their food was spoiling when it wasn’t.In Canada, $27 billion in food waste should be telling us that we are not only wasteful but that there are significant opportunities to save the landfills, the pocketbooks, and business costs. Recent research by food expert Martin Gooch titled, Developing an Industry Led Approach to Addressing Food Waste in Canada, suggests that perhaps it’s time for business to take the lead in this country.He suggests Canadian grocers can play a big role in helping to reduce those losses, and boost their bottom lines in the process. His partnership with London, Ontario’s Ivey School of Business to research food waste in Canada’s agri-food industry was revealing, causing Gooch to note: “There are significant opportunities for businesses to streamline their operations, reduce food waste, and increase profits.”All of these efforts couldn’t come soon enough. Not only is there great hunger enduring in the world, but climate change, and our ongoing pattern of wasting our natural environment, means the time has come to treat such problems realistically. Business and food companies, along with consumers, must begin the process of leading the way.We are living in a world where lemonade is made artificially and furniture polish is made from real lemons. Something’s clearly wrong, and dealing with how we waste food is a beginning stage in repurposing our entire food system.