Understanding Food Loss

Improve sustainability by measuring and managing food loss

In face of significant sustainability challenges, finding effective solutions to reduce food loss and waste has never been more urgent.

Developed as part of the EU-funded FOLOU project, this two-week course from the University of Reading will help you understand food loss, particularly in the context of the wider food system, recognise the value of measuring food loss as a first step towards tackling the problem, and identify key stakeholders.

By the end of it, you’ll be able to explain why food loss matters and how better measurement and management can improve the sustainability, security and fairness of our food systems.

Learn the difference between food loss vs. food waste

Understanding the distinction between food loss and food waste is the first step toward making a real impact.

On this course, you’ll discover how food loss is defined and explore the environmental, societal, and behavioural causes of it.

You’ll learn where food loss occurs in the food system and why it’s critical to Europe and beyond. You’ll also hear how farmers, researchers and policy-makers are responding to the challenges.

Explore innovative tools to measure food loss

As a crucial step toward finding effective solutions, you’ll focus on the techniques and tools available to quantify food loss, as well as the latest innovations in the field.

By understanding how to measure food loss, you’ll be equipped to make more informed decisions and drive change on the ground.

You’ll also gain a broader perspective by exploring the roles of different stakeholders in these environmental efforts, alongside the ethical considerations that ensure your actions are responsible and impactful.

Main image © WWF/Santi Donaire

The course is designed for anyone interested in learning more about food loss in primary production. It will be particularly useful for the primary production sector (e.g. farmers, farm advisors, farm associations and consultants), researchers, public administrators, policymakers and non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

The course is designed for anyone interested in learning more about food loss in primary production. It will be particularly useful for the primary production sector (e.g. farmers, farm advisors, farm associations and consultants), researchers, public administrators, policymakers and non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

• Explain the significance of food loss in primary production
• Define food loss as an economic and sustainability issue
• Describe food loss within the wider food system context
• Recognise the value of defining and improving food loss measurement
• List a range of methods and tools to measure food loss
• Identify key food loss stakeholders and opportunities for engagement