Question Period Note: FOOD WASTE

Q1 – Who have you engaged to address this important issue? Q2 – When will the Food Loss and Waste Reduction Plan be launched?

R1 - In the lead-up to the UN Food Systems Summit, our government engaged with diverse food systems partners and stakeholders, including a dedicated dialogue on Fostering collaboration on food loss and waste (April 2021).
The Canadian Food Policy Advisory Council provides me with advice on the most pressing issues facing Canada’s food systems. Food loss and waste has been a focal point of the Council’s work, and recommendations have identified the importance of establishing a baseline and setting targets, and collaboration across food systems’ actors, to achieve meaningful reductions.
Internationally, Canada has affirmed its leadership in food loss and waste reduction through participation in a variety of multilateral forums, including the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development and participation at the United Nations Food Systems Summit. R2 - At the 10th Annual North American Leaders’ Summit (January 2023), Canada committed to developing a domestically-focused Food Loss and Waste Reduction Action Plan by the end of 2025 outlining efforts to cut food loss and waste in half by 2030.

Food loss and waste is a complex, dynamic challenge facing global food systems, including in Canada. Food loss occurs at the earlier parts of the food supply chain, including production, processing, transport and distribution. Food waste occurs at the consumption stages, including retail, food services, institutions and households. The term “food waste” is often used to refer to food loss and food waste collectively.
• The UN estimates that 14% of total global food production is lost between harvest and distribution, and 17% is wasted in retail, food service and households.
• In Canada, it is estimated that more than half of Canada’s food supply is lost or wasted annually, and nearly $50 billion worth of food that is disposed of could be avoided each year.
• Food waste represents the single largest percentage (23%) of Canadian municipal solid waste disposed.
There are a multitude of reasons that food loss and waste is generated throughout the food system, including lack of awareness and quantification, operational inefficiencies, relationships among supply chain partners, quality standards, inadequate transportation and storage, inaccurate forecasting and inventory management.
Where prevention is not feasible, there are missed economic and social opportunities when food, as a resource, is discarded, as well as environmental consequences such as landfill methane emissions.
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Approach to Reducing Food Loss and Waste
The department works with stakeholders across the country to identify effective solutions for reducing food loss and food waste.

Since 2019, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada has implemented:
• Food Waste Reduction Challenge
o The Challenge, launched in November 2020, aims to deliver high-impact solutions to food waste in Canada. The Challenge is divided into two streams, the Business Models Streams and the Novel Technologies Streams.
o Business Model Streams
 On June 16, 2022, Minister Bibeau announced the 12 finalists selected under the Business Model Streams of the Food Waste Reduction Challenge to find new solutions to food waste.
 The Business Models Streams (Streams A & B) support innovators with business model solutions that can prevent or divert food waste at any point from farm to plate.
 Each finalist received $400,000 and moved on to the final stage of the Challenge. Over the past 12 months, finalists have accelerated and scaled up the commercialization of their solution. Finalists are competing to win one of two grand prizes of up to $1.5 million in grant funding. The winners will be announced in early 2024.
o Novel Technologies Streams:
 The Novel Technologies Streams (Streams C and D) of the Food Waste Reduction Challenge focus on novel technologies that can extend the life of food or transform food waste into new foods or value-added products.
 Eighteen (18) semi-finalists were selected for the Novel Technologies Streams in January 2022. Each semi-finalist received $100,000 and competed in the prototype development stage of the Challenge. They built or completed an existing prototype of their technology and reported on their solution’s effectiveness.
 In Fall 2022, six finalists were selected to receive up to $450,000 each.
 In the final stage, finalists have one year to advance their prototypes and test them in an operational environment with at least one implementation partner. Finalists are competing to win one of two grand prizes of up to $1 million in grant funding. The winners will be announced in mid-2024.
• Surplus Food Rescue Program
o $50 million in funding to address the urgent COVID-19 related surplus of food that could not otherwise be routed through the supply chain due to disruptions, including the closure of restaurants and other food service- and hospitality-related businesses.
o The program aimed to rescue surplus food that would otherwise have gone to waste and to ensure the food reached at-risk populations in Canada.
o Through the program, AAFC awarded contributions to eight organizations that leveraged existing food redistribution and recovery networks and agencies, resulting in over 7 million kilograms of surplus food and 1 million dozen eggs being redistributed to food banks and community food organizations due to COVID-19 disruptions.

• The Government of Canada is taking action to reduce food waste at all levels to make our food systems more efficient and sustainable, create new business opportunities, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
• We launched the $20-million Food Waste Reduction Challenge, to spark new ideas and challenge innovators to deliver game-changing solutions that prevent or divert food waste.
• We are developing a Food Loss and Waste Reduction Action Plan building on positive achievements across the sector, and I have committed to launching a No-Waste Food Fund to help all players along the food supply chain adopt new ways to eliminate, reduce, or repurpose food waste.