Importance of food waste

Managing to avoid food waste at an event is an important duty in nowadays. Planning and implementing a food waste reduction program is always a difficult task for planners when you are planning a conference or event for a large number of people. Events, conferences, and special occasions have a greater chance of food being wasted because it can be difficult to cater to exact numbers and tastes of so many different people. By 2014, Value Chain Management International has information that food waste in Canada estimated $31 billion annually where 8 percent (about $2.5 billion) is attributed to the “food service” industry (hospitality and restaurant industry).

Food waste becomes a big issue for event planners. Now, when event companies creating events or organize conferences and festivals, should include “food waste” factor. It is excellent when event company tries to reduce the amount of food waste, by donating or giving away. So, the answer starts by making food waste a priority to understand how events contribute and can take systematic action.

Trailer Just Eat It - A food waste story, from HotDocs festival 2014, shows a story how people can change and prevent food waste by themselves. The movie shows that old rules and standards must be changed.

As an event planner we all responsible not only for reducing the number of waste on our events but also to save the money. Food takes a big part of the budget all the time, so reducing the food waste can help to save this money.

There are some tips, how to do it:

• ·         Food waste reduction and diversion must be a part of your planning from the beginning.
• ·         Track and review attendance data from past events to help determine the type and quantities of food what you need to order.
• ·         It is better to choose seasonal food that can be procured from local vendors to minimize the carbon emission. Also, consider integrating ingredients that consume fewer resources.
• ·         Think about how you can re-use the food in right ways, such as using any unserved vegetables from the dinner buffet as a soup-starter the next day or turning extra bread into croutons.
• ·         It is useful to use tumblers and hydration stations or pitchers of water instead of single-use bottled water on festivals and outdoor events.
• ·         Find caterers and venues that support sustainability and ask if they have relationships with local food pantries and can coordinate food donations after the event. 

Trying to reduce food waste is all good in theory. But will you be panic if your buffets empty before they are refreshed? This is an uncomfortable part for a lot of event planners, so it is very important that everyone discuss service expectations in a specific way. If buffets trays are regularly swapped out at 7%, is everyone comfortable to drop to 2%? It is not a big deal if there are the main courses but not ten.

Please, feel free to read the articles below about food waste, and the way how to reduce it.   

Steps to end food waste in the event industry: https://www.corporatemeetingsnetwork.ca/2015/06/25/steps-end-food-waste-event-industry/

4 TIPS TO AVOID FOOD WASTE AT A CONFERENCE OR EVENT: https://congrex.com/conference-management/4-tips-to-avoid-food-waste-at-a-conference-or-event/

Questions:

1.        Do you think that reducing food waste can save your event budget?
2.        Is it hard to serve less food, even if it still a lot, according to the number of waste after?