At this point of the monitoring, valid and representative data have been provided only by the retail sector, which stands as the basis for the 20% figure, as the data pool covers more than 95% of the sector. As for the overall food waste reduction of Switzerland, defining a valid estimate would be impossible, as the retail sector only makes up 4-5% of the entire value chain.
Nonetheless, the rise of food waste reduction in Switzerland is undeniable. As the Swiss Retail Federation states:
“However, since the momentum to reduce food waste in our country is a tangible and largely uncontested reality in society and the economy, one can reasonably assume a significant reduction in food losses along the entire value chain.”
Push for increased consumer awareness
Owing to the fact that a significant section of food losses is still linked to consumer habits, it is crucial to raise awareness about the matter. The Swiss Retail Federation fully supports the national efforts, such as awareness campaigns and the topic’s introduction into education (e.g., home economics, biology, project weeks…).
At the same time, the organization also brings attention to the fact that legislative measures may be counterproductive in terms of the voluntary nature of agreement and a company’s motivation during the validity periods.
