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From Local Innovation to Global Impact: Business Drivers for Reducing Food Loss and Waste

  • caseyfox6
  • Oct 3
  • 2 min read

On September 29, 2025, the world marked the 6th International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste (IDAFLW), a call to action led by FAO and UNEP. This year’s theme emphasized an urgent truth: reducing food loss and waste is essential for building sustainable agrifood systems. 


At Food Enterprise Solutions (FES), we’ve seen this firsthand. Through our recently completed Feed the Future Business Drivers for Food Safety (BD4FS) program, funded by USAID, we found that business-led solutions not only cut food loss, but also improve food safety, livelihoods, and market access. 



Why Food Loss Is a Business Issue 


In Senegal, BD4FS piloted Food Loss and Waste Protocols with 50 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The results were striking: 


  • 68% of businesses lacked strong food safety practices.  

  • 70% had not implemented HACCP, a global food safety standard.  

  • Many businesses had no systems for tracking food loss, making ROI difficult to measure.  

  • Annual losses ranged from 38 to 90,000 kilograms, especially in perishable sectors like fruits, vegetables, and seafood.   


These findings echo FAO’s global data: 13% of food is lost post-harvest, and 19% wasted at retail and consumer levels. For businesses, this isn’t just a food issue — it’s lost revenue, reduced efficiency, and missed opportunities. (IDAFLW) 



Business-Driven, Data-Informed Solutions 


BD4FS showed that when businesses are empowered with knowledge and tools, they can make measurable change. Key results include: 


  • Training 20,518 individuals in food safety, including 69% women and 34% youth.  

  • Developing a Pre-HACCP Validation Program to help SMEs meet global standards affordably.  

  • Supporting cold chain improvements and low-cost technologies to reduce spoilage.  

  • Mobilizing $5.8 million in private investment for food safety upgrades. 

  • Fostering the establishment of local food safety training and advisory businesses in each country BD4FS worked in – companies that FES continues to work with in scaling local services for more food enterprises.   


These interventions align with FAO’s 2025 IDAFLW priorities: investing in infrastructure, promoting circular economy solutions, and strengthening SME capacity. 



Scaling Local Success for Global Impact 


FAO’s message is clear: “Every action taken to reduce food loss and food waste matters.” Our experience reinforces that SMEs are critical to that action. With the right training and incentives, they become powerful agents of change in local and global food systems. 

To build on this momentum, we call on donors, governments, and the private sector to: 


  • Invest in scalable, right-sized certification programs for SMEs.  

  • Support digital tools that make food loss visible and actionable.  

  • Foster public-private partnerships that reward safe, sustainable practices.  

 

 

A Call to Action 


Reducing food loss and waste isn’t only about saving food. It’s about protecting our planet, improving nutrition, and unlocking opportunities for communities worldwide. Every business, policymaker, and consumer has a role to play in creating systems where food is never wasted but always valued. 


This IDAFLW, let’s not stop at raising awareness — let’s commit to action. Together, we can drive change from the ground up. 


 
 
 

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