1. Upstream
Food Waste
Study
EDF & Walmart

2. 63m #3 $218b Food Waste by the Numbers
tons of food wasted in the US each year #3
ranking of top emitters if food waste were a nation
$218b
financial cost of food waste annually

3. Project Plan Approach - Overview
Objective
To identify areas of opportunity and bring tailored solutions to the Global Food Sourcing team for Walmart to reduce food waste in its supply chain, not only cutting costs and emissions, but also increasing food efficiency and unlocking nutrition to better feed the world. 1.
Establish baselines to understand Walmart’s contributions to food waste. 2.
Identify crops that have large impact opportunity. 3.
Investigate the supply chains of the chosen crops. 4.
Interview top suppliers about their experiences combatting waste and test potential solutions. 5.
Pilot best solutions for the crops to test effectiveness.
Rationale
Quantify the opportunity for Walmart, determining how much is lost at each node of the food pathway and the cost of that loss.
Crops that are high volume and staples of everyday life (e.g. cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers) will have a large impact.
Tailor the initial baselines to the selected crop(s) and hypothesize pain points and potential solutions.
Understand what is already being done, the rate of success, blindspots from the retailer, test hypotheses of 3, and feasibility of solutions.
Using the results of 4, run a pilot with top suppliers to implement a solution.

4. Food Waste Data Collection - Example

5. shift as much volume as we can further up the pyramid.
Food Recovery Hierarchy – Project Goals
Goal:
shift as much volume as we can further up the pyramid.

6. We invite you to join us!
Together, we can work to cut food waste, reduce costs and better feed
those in need.
Please contact:
Theresa Ehrlich
Kate Ellliott