Reducing food waste and loss

Around one-third of food produced globally is either lost or wasted. We are working to reduce food waste where we can.

A significant amount of global resources are devoted to food production and distribution – in land, water, fertilizer and fuel costs, as well as in the greenhouse gases produced. This inefficiency has profound implications for the environment and the ability of the food sector to operate sustainably.

Taking innovative but practical steps to reduce food waste

Food loss and waste can occur at any point between production and consumption. To help prevent this, we have implemented a number of practical, technological and educational initiatives designed to help reduce food loss and waste.

We are working alongside farmers, agricultural scientists, researchers and non-profit organizations internationally to reduce food loss and waste. And we are helping people understand how they can prevent food waste at home.

Extending shelf-life and innovative upcycling

Nestlé is helping farmers in Kenya access food preservation systems that allow them to turn surplus fruit and vegetables that would otherwise spoil into less perishable products. By partnering farmers with food processing firms in this way, we are helping improve their livelihoods by creating additional income streams throughout the year.

In West Africa, our R&D experts have trialed a sorghum-based porridge that upcycles what had been an unused by-product from the production of malt for our Milo powdered beverage. The sorghum is blended with other cereals and fortified with micronutrients to create a nutritious breakfast option under the Golden Morn brand. By innovating in this way, we are helping maximize the value we extract from our raw materials and enhancing nutrition for lower-income families.

Revolutionizing crop yields

Nestlé’s agricultural scientists recommended the introduction of drying technologies to help maize farmers in Nigeria reduce loss.

Maize farming is plagued by pests and crop molds, so the use of dome-shaped solar dryers, which can be easily and cost-effectively built using local materials, helps avoid loss.

Clearer labelling: Less wastage

Nestlé France has collaborated with Too Good to Go’s Consumption Dates Pact to help remove consumer confusion around consumption dates and contributing to preventing food from being needlessly discarded.

Poor understanding of sell-by, use-by or best-by dates is thought to be responsible for food waste.

Nestlé scientists inspect coffee plantlets

Creating energy from waste

In Indonesia, a Nestlé factory has switched from fossil fuels to locally supplied rice husk as biofuel, with a second factory expected to adopt the same practice. In Finland, we have built a biogas-powered plant.

At our Nestlé Waters facility in Henniez, Switzerland, we are pioneering innovative lower-carbon technologies to produce renewable electricity for local residents and hot water for the facility. This electricity, some of which is sourced through a third-party biogas plant using manure from cattle, together with other organic waste (such as coffee grounds from Nespresso), represents 37% of the thermal energy consumption of the site.

In Italy, the Nestlé BioGas program tackles food waste by partnering with farmers to transform manure and agricultural waste into bio gas, used to fuel heavy-duty vehicles. Launched in 2021, the initiative has achieved significant results, saving over 13,000 tons of CO2 in 2023 while reducing local pollutants like particulates and oxides.