Using System Thinking to Identify Food Wastage (FW) Lever-age Points in Four Different Food Chains

About one third of all food produced for human consumption is lost or wasted, leading to societal, economic and environmental challenges. This study identifies the most important Food wastage (FW) leverage points and their interrelations with specific food chains. Semi-structured interviews were conducted across four different food chains (milk, poultry, potato and greenhouse-grown fruit vegetables) from primary production to food service. The outcomes of the interviews were summarized via a systems approach and validated during co-creation sessions. A total of 22 FW leverage points were identified across the food chains consisting of 4 major hotspots, 6 patterns of behaviours, 6 structures and 6 mental models. Common transformative leverage points across all food chains were: damaged products, oversupply, regulations and standards that limit product use and lack of prioritization of FW reduction. Additionally, the study found that co-creation sessions with stakeholders from across the food chains could fa-cilitate the formation of coalitions of willing companies, encouraging collaborative efforts to reduce FW.