The Consumer Goods Forum Launches #TooGoodToWaste Campaign To Inspire Reductions in Household Food Waste

September 29, 2023 /3BL/ - The Consumer Goods Forum’s (CGF) Food Waste Coalition of Action has today launched #TooGoodToWaste, a food loss and waste education campaign that aims to spur faster progress among CGF members and the millions of consumers they reach.

CGF is the only CEO-led membership association that brings together both manufacturers and retailers globally. The campaign will harness the experience and influence of major businesses to help inspire consumer behaviour change to reduce food waste.

Members of CGF’s Food Waste Coalition – including Bel Group, Grupo Exito, Kerry,, Majid Al Futtaim, Migros Ticaret A.Ş, Tesco, Unilever, and Walmart – will support the initiative. Companies will use the hashtag #TooGoodToWaste as they share their own campaigns engaging consumers with inspirational messaging, raising awareness of the food loss and waste problem, and providing tips and advice on ways to reduce household food waste.

CGF exists to help its members collaborate to drive faster progress at scale. CGF will provide an online resource hub FoodIsTooGoodToWaste.com for participating members to share resources and helpful information that can make a difference.

The resource hub will include:

• Tips and advice on overbuying, changing attitudes to imperfect produce, and ideas for using leftovers.
• Explanations of how to understand date labels, the difference between ‘use by’ and ‘best before’.
• Examples of successful collaborations with non-profit organisations and government agencies to educate consumers about addressing food loss and waste.

While a significant portion of food is lost along the food supply chain, a lot of food is wasted at the household level. Data from the UNEP shows that some 60% of food waste happens in peoples’ homes. Collective action from food companies, retailers, manufacturers and consumers is therefore vital to tackle the problem together.

According to the World Resources Institute (WRI), food loss and waste accounts for 8-10% percent of annual global greenhouse gas emissions — if food loss and waste were a country, it would be the third biggest emitter of greenhouse gases. Food loss and waste wastes 1/4 of fresh water used in agriculture every year.

Research by WRAP shows that while 81% of consumers are concerned about climate change, only 37% realise the connection with wasting food. CGF hopes that #TooGoodToWaste will empower consumers with practical tips that drives positive behaviour change, such as helping them feel good about using all the food in their fridge.

Sharon Bligh, Director of Health and Sustainability at The Consumer Goods Forum, said:

“The food waste challenge is a complex, shared, and global one – and so our approaches to tackling it must also be shared. This campaign is all about uniting members to gather practical insights that can drive faster collective progress. We hope that through this initiative, our members – regardless of where they are on their journey – will be inspired to do more while also empowering consumers with clear information and advice on how to play their part.”

“Members of CGF’s Food Waste Coalition are already working hard to tackle this enormous environmental and social problem – but we know that more is needed at every level. Every food company has a significant role to play in doing more to minimise food waste across their own operations, while also increasing consumer awareness and action.”

Ken Murphy, Group CEO at Tesco and 12.3 Champion; CGF Food Waste Coalition of Action Co-Sponsor, said:

“Food waste is a global issue, and one we all have a responsibility to tackle together. Retailers in the food industry must work harder to tackle food loss and waste across the entire chain, and engage with customers on the importance of reducing food waste - both in stores and in their own homes. This new campaign supports Tesco’s ongoing commitment to do just that, and we look forward to working alongside other coalition members to drive long-lasting systemic change at a global level.”

Cécile Béliot, Chief Executive Officer, Bel Group, said:

“To achieve maximum positive impact, collaboration between all food actors is key to tackling the challenge of food waste. The collective fight against food waste is ultimately a matter of citizenship involving our consumers, employees and all the people of our ecosystem. The awareness campaign #TooGoodToWaste aimed at all citizens is a powerful way to prompt actions to cut down food waste at home. With CGF members, we are harnessing the communication power of our companies & brands to empower citizens to adopt better habits.”

Hani Weiss, Chief Executive Officer, Majid Al Futtaim, said: 

“Addressing food waste isn’t just a choice; it’s our responsibility. In our journey towards a sustainable future, we are thrilled to report on the tremendous impact our “War on Waste” initiative has had on combating food waste. By finetuning demand forecasting, optimising product stockpiling, temperature controls, and expiration dates, we have successfully reduced food waste by 23% over the past two years, preserving 20,000 tons of food. These steppingstones will pave the way for more impactful initiatives as we embark on a sustainable journey alongside our customers.”

Chris Franke, Senior Manager, Global Sustainability at Walmart; CGF Food Waste Coalition of Action Co-Chair, said:

“Standardized date labeling can be a useful aid in improving customer decision-making and behavior, especially the "Best If Used By" label for packaged food if the date references optimal quality, not safety. And we encourage suppliers to do so In line with the CGF Date Labeling Call to Action. We estimate that in FY2023, 96% of our Walmart U.S. private-brand food supplier-reported sales came from items carrying the "Best if Used By" or "Use By" standardized date label.” 

Bert De Vegt, Global Vice President Food Preservation & Protection, Kerry, said:

“As well as adding to consumer costs, waste in the food chain accounts for up to 10% of global green house gas emissions, and as such, represents a vital issue for industry and consumers to tackle. We are proud to partner with CGF and our industry partners on this important initiative, to empower consumers and drive meaningful change.”

Maria Fernanda Posada Puerta, Director of Sustainability, Grupo Exito, said:

“At Grupo Éxito, "Nourishing Colombia with opportunities" defines our company strategy. We are committed to the care of the planet and as a retailer one of our big challenges is the management of food waste. From our sustainability strategy we implement different actions in our direct operations, supply chains, and towards our customers, such as: donating 582 tons of food through 24 food banks and more than 200 institutions and foundations allied, benefiting 820.000 people by July 2023, actions like these make us one of the main food donors in Colombia.

For our company, the #TooGoodTooWaste campaign, led by the Consumer Goods Forum, is an opportunity for companies in the food sector to become spokespersons for this great challenge to raise awareness among consumers and guide them towards the implementation of changes in their consumption behaviors that allow the reduction of their food waste."

The #TooGoodToWaste campaign, which is part of CGF’s ongoing efforts to tackle food waste, kicks off on International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste (29September), an initiative led by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the United Nations Environment Programme.

The fourth annual International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste will raise awareness of the scale of the challenge and promote collective action that will help deliver Sustainable Development Goal 12.3: to halve per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer level by 2030 and reduce overall losses in supply chains.

CGF’S Food Waste Coalition is led by 21 of the world’s major food companies, who are committed to halving food waste within their own operations by 2030 and who strive to reduce food waste in their supply chains and at the customer level.

Existing Coalition initiatives include member commitments around measurement and reporting, taking practical steps to reduce food waste in their own operations and supply chains, and working collaboratively with other companies to innovate and help consumers reduce food waste.

Go online to FoodIsTooGoodToWaste.com to find out more about the campaign and the work of the Coalition.