Horizon Europe Wastewise Project: Waste prevention strategies for environmental sustainability

In line with the priorities of the European Green Deal and the Farm to Fork strategy, combating food waste is a cornerstone of fostering a fair, healthy, and environmentally friendly food system. WASTEWISE is designed to design realistic pathways for food waste prevention and reduction to achieve co-benefits for climate change mitigation, biodiversity, and circularity. WASTEWISE employs a holistic, multi-stakeholder approach across the entire food supply chain to measure the environmental impact of food waste prevention and reduction, propose evidence-based measures, and drive systemic changes for sustainable food consumption, poverty alleviation, and environmental sustainability in prioritized supply chains.

The ambition of WASTEWISE is to deepen existing knowledge about the true extent of the environmental impacts that can be achieved through food waste prevention and reduction efforts, and how these can accelerate progress towards EU climate goals. To this end, WASTEWISE will analyze food waste data, develop reliable methods for assessing environmental impacts, and conduct policy analyses to inform realistic, evidence-based scenarios for food waste prevention and reduction.

With this evidence-based knowledge and pragmatic scenarios, WASTEWISE provides policymakers with key information, recommendations, and tools to accelerate progress toward climate goals. The WASTEWISE consortium encompasses all relevant scientific and technical expertise, spanning organic waste quantification, environmental impact assessment, innovation, and policy advice. With the support of stakeholders through multi-stakeholder platforms (ministries, businesses, associations, NGOs), it ensures inclusive participation and dissemination of results, fostering broad adoption across all cultural and socioeconomic contexts.