CULTIVATING THE CAPACITY OF FOOD BUSINESSES TO REDUCE AND TRANSFORM FOOD WASTE – PHASE ONE

THE CHALLENGE

Managing food waste is typically not the highest priority for small food businesses even though combined primary producers and food manufacturing businesses account for 55% of food waste annually in Australia (National Food Waste Baseline, 2019).   The results from FFW Training Needs Analysis (2020) clearly demonstrated a need for food waste training delivered in multi modalities specifically for small businesses. The challenge, however, is that businesses do not fully understand or engage with formal food waste training and education.

OUR AIM

Using a circular economy lens, this project will develop a Food Waste Management Training Framework for regional based food SMEs.  The framework and resources developed through this project will focus on the economic motivations of regional small food businesses to engage in training and skills development initiatives through business capacity-building networks.  The network of regional small food businesses will become the platform to inform the development and provision of food waste training programs that could ultimately be rolled out nationally across regional Australia.

PROJECT OUTCOMES

Through in-depth interviews with small regional food businesses located in the Murraylands/Riverland, South Australia catchment area, and the knowledge and expertise of a Project Reference Group, the project’s anticipated outcomes hold the key to addressing persistent barriers, motivating small regional food businesses, and developing effective messaging that can revolutionise food waste reduction practices.

The outcomes identified for this project are as follows:

• Barriers/Resistance: Identify and understand key barriers to reducing and transforming food waste in small regional food businesses.
• Motivation/Value Proposition: Explore the motivations and value propositions that would encourage small regional food businesses to participate in food waste training.
• Messaging: Develop effective messaging strategies to engage small regional food businesses in circular economy practices.
• Training Resources/Support: Determine the training resources and programs needed to support food businesses in implementing food waste reduction and transformation actions.
• Implementation Resources/Support: Define the requirements and processes for implementing, monitoring, evaluating, and improving food waste reduction and transformation actions.
• National Program Development: Lay the groundwork for a national program to address food waste in regional Australia.

PROJECT OUTPUTS

The anticipated outputs for this project include a well-researched Literature Review, a Business Food Waste Action Plan template for immediate implementation and illuminating Case Studies of businesses that have successfully reduced food waste.  Additionally, a ready-to-test Food Waste Training Framework and an Introduction to Food Waste Training Unit will be developed, ensuring that the knowledge and insights generated throughout the project can be seamlessly translated into practical applications.

Lastly, the Recommendations Report, grounded in solid data and practical insights, provide stakeholders with clear and actionable steps for future training initiatives in regional locations.

Together, these outputs herald a more sustainable and efficient future for food waste management in regional small businesses.