Integrating Food Waste and Food Security Strategies in Community Food Systems

• In Event: Subnational Issues in Environmental Policy

Abstract

Food loss and waste throughout the food supply chain is a growing issue that has significant economic, environmental, and social implications. Wasted food can lead to lost profits for producers and distributors, the unnecessary production of greenhouse gas emissions, and increased food insecurity in communities. Due to the large number of stakeholders involved in the food supply chain, as well as the long-term and low-contestability nature of the problem, there is growing interest in addressing food waste through collaborative governance approaches. An increasingly popular type of collaborative approach is called a Food Policy Council (FPC), which engages diverse public and private stakeholders in the development of programs and policies aimed at improving their local food system. Despite this collaborative approach, many FPCs continue to treat food waste reduction issues in isolation from other related issues, such as food security, in their communities. Intentionally integrating these policy priorities may help FPCs better leverage their often-limited resources and improve their program and policy outcomes.

This study seeks to better understand how FPCs conceptualize and manage the related issues of food waste and food security, and how they could better integrate approaches to improving these two food systems issues. To do this, we combine quantitative analysis of survey data on FPCs from the Johns Hopkins University Food Policy Networks project with semi-structured interviews of FPC members. Specifically, we interview three members from each of a subset of U.S. FPCs: one member focused on waste reduction, one member focused on food security, and a chairperson who manages the council activities more broadly. From these interviews, we analyze the FPCs’ goals, activities, and partnerships related to food waste and food security to identify opportunities for integration. The findings provide both practical insight for the improved functioning of FPCs as they continue to flourish, as well as theoretical insight into the integration of related policy priorities in collaborative governance processes through strategic partnership management.

Authors

• Nikki Nadeau, University of Nevada-Reno

• Elizabeth Koebele, University of Nevada, Reno