EU’s Provisional Agreement on Food Waste Reduction: A Missed Opportunity for Stronger Action
Brussels, 25 February 2024 – Last week, EU lawmakers in the Council and Parliament reached a provisional agreement on the revision of the Waste Framework Directive, ending eight months of intense trilogue negotiations. While the final text has yet to be published, early reports suggest that the outcome largely mirrors the European Commission’s proposal from July 2023, particularly in terms of food waste reduction. Unfortunately, this agreement reflects a lack of boldness in addressing Europe’s growing food waste crisis, failing to introduce necessary, realistic measures to tackle the issue comprehensively.
EU’s Food Waste Reduction Targets: A Step Forward, But Not Enough
The adopted food waste reduction targets set ambitious goals of 10% reduction in food processing and manufacturing, and 30% per capita reduction in retail, restaurants, food services, and households by 31 December 2030. While these binding national targets represent a significant milestone for Europe’s green transition, they fall short of the European Parliament’s 2024 counter-proposal, which called for a 10% increase to these targets (totalling 20% and 40%, respectively). Furthermore, they fail to align with the EU’s commitment to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 12.3, which calls for a 50% reduction in food waste by 2030 at the consumption level.
The Exclusion of Primary Production: A Critical Gap in the Legislation
Although the agreement introduces legally binding food waste reduction targets, the exclusion of primary production from these targets undermines the effectiveness of the legislation. The omission leaves farmers, particularly small family farms, vulnerable to waste “dumping” practices by other actors in the supply chain. Without binding targets for primary production, food waste could shift to those who are not required to meet reduction goals, ultimately harming Europe's farmers, many of whom already live below the poverty line.
Expert Reactions to the EU’s Food Waste Strategy
Martin Bowman, Senior Policy and Campaigns Manager at Feedback, expressed disappointment over the outcome:
“The EU is supposed to meet Sustainable Development Goal 12.3, but the targets set today fall far short of this ambition, planning for failure. While legally binding targets are a step forward, we must push for more ambitious measures and extend these targets to primary production to prevent shifting the burden onto farmers.”
Daemon Ortega, Policy & Project Officer at Safe Food Advocacy Europe, highlighted the risks of the current approach:
“This strategy risks delays and unintended consequences. Without ambitious, time-bound targets across the entire food supply chain, we may end up shifting waste onto Europe’s farmers rather than achieving genuine reductions. The time for half-measures is over.”
Fynn Hauschke, Policy Officer on Circular Economy and Waste at the European Environmental Bureau, stressed the broader implications:
“Today, European institutions failed to uphold their international commitments. Their lack of ambition squanders a key opportunity to reduce food waste, cut greenhouse gas emissions, and address food security and biodiversity concerns.”
The Need for More Ambitious EU Food Waste Reduction Targets
The Prevent Waste Coalition (PWC), a group of NGOs and progressive businesses advocating for stronger food waste prevention targets, emphasizes the need for greater ambition to align EU policies with Sustainable Development Goal 12.3. The coalition calls for food waste reduction targets that span the entire food supply chain, from farm to fork, and urges the EU to introduce more ambitious policies to tackle food waste and support Europe’s farmers.
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