Protocol for Evaluating Business Food Waste

This document supports lead organisations responsible for Frameworks for Action (food industry voluntary agreements established under the REFRESH project) to set baselines and work with business participants to measure and report their food waste data.

Food waste should be defined using the FUSIONS definitional framework and its language. It is important that the main concepts are clearly agreed and understood by all stakeholders.
Two recently published sets of guidelines can help entities (governments, businesses, research organisations) that are seeking to measure food waste:
•    The WRI Food Loss and Waste Standard  (FLW Standard in short)
•    FUSIONS Food Waste Quantification Manual (FUSIONS Manual in short)

There is an overlap between the two guidelines, but each also covers some specific elements the other does not cover. It is recommended to read the introductory chapters and the relevant supply chain stage chapters of the FUSIONS Manual first, and follow up with more detailed description of the methods and associated procedures (using records, sampling, and analysis) in the FLW Standard.
In the REFRESH Frameworks for Action we will measure business’ own operational waste, and depending on the projects, before and after wastage rates or awareness levels of targeted food products and targeted audiences.