A Summary of Engagement Feedback on Food Waste Reduction

Food waste refers to food that is intended for human consumption but that is discarded at some point along the food supply chain (such as in production, processing, distribution, retail, food service, households, etc.). 

Food waste can have significant environmental, social and economic impacts, including greenhouse gas emissions, inefficient use of natural resources, economic loss, biodiversity loss and public health issues.¹  

In Canada, about 58% of food produced is lost or wasted every year; 32% of the lost and wasted food could be rescued to support communities across Canada.2  Every year, the lost and wasted food in Canada creates about 56.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions.2 The average Canadian household spends $1,766 on food that is wasted every year.² 

The Department of Agriculture initiated a project focused on exploring food waste reduction on Prince Edward Island (PEI). To better understand the food waste challenges in PEI, the department consulted food supply chain partners, community/charitable organizations, and the public to seek their insights and thoughts.  

The engagement process took place from March 2024 to August 2024. This report summarizes what we heard from the engagement.

References 

¹ Commission for Environmental Cooperation. (2017). Case Studies on Food Loss and Waste in North America. Montreal, Canada: Commission for Environmental Cooperation

² Gooch, M., Bucknell, D., LaPlain, D., Dent, B., Whitehead, P., Felfel, A., Nikkel, L., Maguire, M. (2019). The Avoidable Crisis of Food Waste: Technical Report. Value Chain Management International and Second Harvest. Ontario, Canada.

Contact 

If you have any questions about the food waste reduction strategy, please email foodwaste@gov.pe.ca