Just Eat it : Food Waste Reduction, National Policies and Corporate Responsibility

Food loss and waste (FLW) pose significant threats to global food system sustainability, necessitating urgent attention from public and private organizations. This paper investigates potential strategies for reducing FLW and examines the interplay between state regulatory intervention and voluntary corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives undertaken by individual firms. Drawing on data from the largest 150 food industry companies in Italy, Norway, and the UK, we assess their responses to self-regulation and external norms, and the resulting achievements in FLW reduction. Our analysis reveals that food companies are more inclined to engage in food waste reduction when they have established CSR strategies, particularly those more intensively communicating about their environmental and social accomplishments. Moreover, national-level policy interventions aimed at reducing FLW are associated with stronger corporate food waste management policies, with the European Union waste hierarchy serving as a benchmark. This paper contributes to the existing literature by providing insights into how various stakeholders can address FLW effectively. It underscores the importance of CSR strategies and appropriate state regulations in driving sustainable practices within the food industry. The findings have significant policy implications and societal relevance, highlighting avenues for achieving a more sustainable and efficient global food system