<p>Over one billion tonnes of food were wasted in 2022. That figure comes from the UN Environment Programme and represents nearly a fifth of all food available to consumers worldwide. Meanwhile, hundreds of millions of people face hunger. This disconnect reveals a profound inefficiency in how food moves from farms to tables.</p><p>Food waste is not just an environmental problem. It also represents wasted land, water, energy, labor and money. Reducing waste can improve food security, lower costs and cut greenhouse gas emissions. However, the causes of waste vary enormously depending on where you are in the supply chain.</p><p>Four businesses are tackling different parts of this challenge. AgroSustain focuses on extending the shelf life of fresh produce. Matriark Foods converts surplus vegetables into new food products. Yola Fresh improves market connections in Nigeria to reduce post-harvest losses. RegenCrops links food waste prevention with regenerative farming practices. Together, they illustrate how diverse the solutions need to be.</p><h2>Global food waste in 2022</h2><p>The UN Environment Programme's Food Waste Index Report 2024 provides the most comprehensive recent data on food waste. The findings show the scale of the problem across households, restaurants and shops.</p><p>Households accounted for 631 million tonnes of food waste in 2022, representing 60% of the total. Food service businesses generated approximately 290 million tonnes. Retail contributed around 131 million tonnes. On average, each person wasted 79 kilograms of food during the year.</p><p>These figures cover waste at the consumer end of the supply chain. Earlier losses between harvest and retail add to the problem. The Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that roughly 13% of food is lost before it even reaches consumers.</p><p>More than one billion meals were wasted in households every day. Food loss and waste generate between 8% and 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions. The global economy loses over one trillion US dollars annually as a result.</p><p>Food waste also wastes the resources used to produce it. Water, fertilizer, fuel and labor all go into growing food that never gets eaten. When discarded food decomposes in landfills without proper waste management, it produces methane emissions.</p><p>At the same time, 783 million people experienced hunger in 2022. Roughly one-third of humanity faced some form of food insecurity. Redirecting wasted food would not automatically solve hunger, because access, affordability, infrastructure and conflict all play major roles. Nevertheless, the contrast highlights significant inefficiency.</p><h2>Extending shelf life with plant-based treatments</h2><p>AgroSustain develops treatments designed to slow spoilage in fruits and vegetables after harvest. The company uses plant-based formulations that inhibit mold growth and delay deterioration during storage and transport.</p><p>Fresh produce continues to respire after being picked. This biological process makes fruits and vegetables vulnerable to spoilage, especially during long-distance transport or extended retail display. Even a modest extension of shelf life can reduce the volume of produce rejected by distributors and retailers.</p><p>Shelf-life technology addresses waste before it happens. Instead of relying solely on discounts, donations or disposal, this approach reduces losses throughout the supply chain. Growers, exporters, supermarkets and households all benefit when produce stays fresh longer.</p><p>The model also has implications for distribution networks. Longer shelf life may allow food to travel farther without requiring entirely new cold-chain infrastructure. However, effectiveness depends on regulatory approval, compatibility with different crops and transparent communication with consumers about how the treatments work.</p><p>Shelf-life technologies work best alongside other improvements. Better cold storage, accurate demand forecasting and improved handling practices all play a role. The technology complements these measures rather than replacing them.</p><h2>Turning cosmetically imperfect vegetables into ingredients</h2><p>Matriark Foods purchases surplus and cosmetically imperfect vegetables to make ingredients for soups, sauces, broths and other products. The model provides farmers and food producers with an outlet for crops that conventional retail standards might reject.</p><p>Produce can be wasted for reasons unrelated to safety or nutrition. Irregular shape, excess supply, harvesting specifications and market price fluctuations all prevent edible crops from reaching consumers. By processing these vegetables, Matriark converts potential waste into shelf-stable products.</p><p>This approach embodies circular economy principles. Surplus crops become raw materials rather than disposal problems. Processing also improves logistics by concentrating perishable vegetables into products that are easier to store, transport and distribute.</p><p>The model creates value for farmers as well. A dependable secondary market generates additional revenue from crops that might otherwise be left in fields or sold at very low prices. Consequently, farmers face less financial risk when markets fluctuate.</p><p>The environmental benefit depends on several factors. Processing facilities located close to farms reduce transport emissions. Products that replace other resource-intensive ingredients provide greater net benefits. Food safety controls must remain strong throughout processing and packaging.</p><p>Costs matter too. Processing, transportation and packaging all add expenses. The business case depends on finding the right balance between procurement costs, processing efficiency and market demand for the finished products.</p><h2>Connecting Nigerian farmers with markets</h2><p>Yola Fresh works to improve fresh food distribution in Nigeria by connecting agricultural producers with consumers and businesses. The model addresses inefficiencies between farms and markets that contribute to post-harvest losses.</p><p>In many developing food systems, inadequate storage and unreliable transportation cause significant losses. Fragmented markets and limited access to buyers compound the problem. Farmers may produce enough food yet lose substantial portions because crops cannot reach consumers quickly or profitably.</p><p>A platform linking producers with customers can improve coordination in several ways. Better matching between supply and demand reduces waste. Faster movement of perishable products decreases spoilage. Greater market visibility helps smallholder farmers find buyers. Direct access to fresh food benefits urban consumers. Reduced dependence on multiple intermediaries improves efficiency.</p><p>This approach treats food waste partly as a market design problem. Food is more likely to be wasted when farmers cannot identify buyers, retailers cannot plan inventory or consumers cannot obtain affordable produce in time. Digital coordination can address these information gaps.</p><p>However, platforms alone cannot solve infrastructure weaknesses. Poor roads, limited refrigeration and low farm incomes require broader investment. Nevertheless, better information and coordination can make existing infrastructure more productive and reduce avoidable losses.</p><p>The significance lies in recognizing that technology and infrastructure must work together. Digital tools amplify the value of physical improvements but cannot substitute for them entirely.</p><h2>Regenerative agriculture and production resilience</h2><p>RegenCrops connects food system efficiency with soil health and regenerative farming practices. Rather than focusing only on what happens after harvest, the model seeks to improve the conditions that determine agricultural productivity.</p><p>Regenerative agriculture includes practices such as cover cropping, crop rotation, reduced soil disturbance and improved soil biology. Healthier soils may support better water retention, resilience and long-term productivity. Outcomes vary depending on climate, crop type and farm management systems.</p><p>This matters for food waste because waste is not limited to food discarded in kitchens or stores. When crops fail, degrade before harvest or cannot be produced efficiently, the resources invested in growing them are also lost. Improving soil condition can reduce vulnerability to drought, erosion and other pressures.</p><p>The approach also highlights connections between food waste and agricultural inputs. Preventing waste means ensuring that land, water, fertilizer, fuel and labor produce food that is ultimately consumed. Resilient production systems reduce the risk of losing entire harvests.</p><p>Regenerative agriculture is not a universal solution. Claims about carbon sequestration or yield improvements require careful measurement and vary by context. Nevertheless, integrating soil restoration with food system innovation broadens the response from waste management to prevention and resilience.</p><p>The strategy shifts focus upstream. Instead of only managing waste after it occurs, regenerative practices aim to prevent losses at the production stage. This complements downstream interventions like shelf-life extension and improved distribution.</p><h2>Four distinct intervention points</h2><p>These businesses operate at different stages in the food system. AgroSustain addresses spoilage during storage, transport and retail. Matriark Foods tackles cosmetic rejection and oversupply. Yola Fresh reduces distribution inefficiencies and post-harvest losses. RegenCrops focuses on production risks and inefficient use of agricultural resources.</p><p>Their diversity reflects an important reality. Food waste has no single cause, so no single technology can solve it. The most effective strategy combines innovations across the full chain.</p><p>Prevention at the farm level requires better production planning and resilient soils. Protection after harvest depends on improved storage, transport and shelf-life technologies. Creating markets for surplus and imperfect produce involves processing and alternative retail channels. Improving consumer and business behavior means better purchasing, portioning and inventory management. Redirecting unavoidable waste into animal feed, compost or anaerobic digestion provides a final safeguard.</p><p>The UN Environment Programme identifies collaboration between governments, businesses and civil society as central to reducing food waste. Progress toward Sustainable Development Goal 12.3, which calls for halving food waste by 2030, requires coordinated action across these different intervention points.</p><h2>What UK businesses should consider</h2><ul><li>Food waste occurs throughout the supply chain, from farm production through to household consumption, with different causes at each stage.</li><li>Over one billion tonnes of food were wasted globally in 2022, representing nearly 20% of all food available to consumers.</li><li>Food loss and waste generate approximately 8% to 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions and cost the global economy over one trillion US dollars annually.</li><li>Shelf-life extension, surplus processing, improved distribution networks and regenerative farming each address different aspects of the food waste challenge.</li><li>Effective solutions combine prevention at the production stage with protection during transport, processing alternatives for surplus crops and better market coordination.</li><li>Digital platforms can improve matching between supply and demand, but their impact depends on underlying infrastructure such as cold storage and reliable transport.</li><li>Halving food waste by 2030 requires collaboration between governments, businesses and civil society across multiple intervention points.</li></ul><h2>Scaling innovation across food supply chains</h2><p>These four businesses demonstrate how entrepreneurial solutions can address food waste through preservation, processing, logistics and agricultural regeneration. Their strongest contribution may be strategic. They show that food waste can be treated as a design and value creation problem rather than an unavoidable by-product.</p><p>However, startups face structural barriers. Scaling requires investment, reliable infrastructure, regulatory approval and customer adoption. Credible measurement of avoided waste is essential but difficult. Companies must distinguish between waste genuinely prevented and waste merely shifted elsewhere in the supply chain.</p><p>For example, packaging may extend shelf life but create additional environmental burdens. Processing may save vegetables but require energy and transportation. Digital distribution may improve matching without solving cold storage shortages. Each solution involves trade-offs that need careful evaluation.</p><p>UK businesses facing <a href="https://sbs.eco/compliance/">carbon reporting requirements</a> need to understand where waste occurs in their supply chains. Food waste contributes to Scope 3 emissions through production, transport and disposal. Measuring these emissions accurately requires tracing food flows from procurement through to end-of-life.</p><p>Procurement decisions influence waste outcomes. Specifications that prioritize cosmetic appearance can increase rejection rates for otherwise edible produce. Contracts that penalize suppliers for overproduction can shift waste upstream. Conversely, purchasing standards that accept cosmetic variation can support circular models like Matriark Foods.</p><p>Storage and handling practices also matter. Investment in temperature-controlled storage reduces spoilage. Staff training on stock rotation and inventory management prevents waste from poor organization. Systems that track product age and condition enable better forecasting.</p><p>UK businesses in the food sector should consider how innovations like those from AgroSustain, Matriark Foods, Yola Fresh and RegenCrops might apply to their operations. Shelf-life extension could reduce waste in distribution networks. Partnerships with surplus processors could create value from rejected stock. Better coordination with suppliers could reduce post-harvest losses. Support for regenerative agriculture could improve supply chain resilience.</p><p>The <a href="https://sbs.eco/procurement/">sustainable procurement</a> agenda increasingly includes food waste reduction. Public sector contracts and large corporate buyers often specify waste reduction targets. Suppliers who can demonstrate credible waste prevention may gain competitive advantage in tenders.</p><p>Measurement remains critical. Businesses should track waste volumes by category and cause. Data on where waste occurs enables targeted interventions. Third-party verification can support credible reporting. Integration with carbon accounting systems ensures waste reduction contributes to emissions targets.</p><h2>Policy support and infrastructure investment</h2><p>Private innovation works best when supported by public policy. Governments can improve waste measurement standards, making it easier to track progress and compare interventions. Standardized date labeling reduces consumer confusion about when food is safe to eat.</p><p>Investment in cold chain infrastructure particularly benefits developing food systems. Reliable refrigeration from farm to market reduces post-harvest losses. Support for smallholder farmers improves access to storage facilities and processing equipment. Funding for food rescue systems connects surplus food with people who need it.</p><p>Regulatory frameworks should encourage prevention rather than disposal. Incentives for waste reduction, processing innovation and circular business models can accelerate adoption. Clear guidance on shelf-life technologies, surplus food donation and animal feed use removes barriers to productive alternatives.</p><p>The central lesson is clear. Tackling food waste requires intervention before food becomes waste. AgroSustain, Matriark Foods, Yola Fresh and RegenCrops illustrate four complementary pathways. Their success depends not only on their technologies or business models but also on whether the wider food system adopts better measurement, infrastructure and cooperation.</p><p>UK businesses can learn from these approaches by examining their own supply chains for waste prevention opportunities. The <a href="https://sbs.eco/net-zero-program/">carbon reporting process</a> provides a natural starting point for identifying where food waste contributes to emissions and where interventions could deliver both environmental and commercial benefits.</p><h2>Where to find more information</h2><p>The <a href="https://www.unep.org/resources/publication/food-waste-index-report-2024">UN Environment Programme's Food Waste Index Report 2024</a> provides comprehensive data on global food waste volumes and patterns. The report includes breakdowns by sector and region.</p><p>The <a href="https://www.fao.org/platform-food-loss-waste/en/">Food and Agriculture Organization's platform on food loss and waste</a> offers resources on measurement, policy and intervention strategies. The platform covers both pre-consumer losses and consumer-facing waste.</p><p>The <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/resources-and-waste-strategy-for-england">UK Resources and Waste Strategy</a> sets out the government's approach to waste reduction, including food waste. The strategy includes targets and policy measures relevant to businesses.</p><p>The <a href="https://wrap.org.uk/taking-action/food-drink">Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP)</a> publishes guidance on food waste prevention for businesses and households. WRAP provides measurement tools and sector-specific advice for UK organizations.</p><p>Sustainable Development Goal 12.3, part of the <a href="https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal12">UN's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development</a>, calls for halving per capita global food waste at retail and consumer levels and reducing food losses along production and supply chains.</p>
