The fight against global climate change often focuses on renewable energy and industrial transitions, but one of the most effective, high-yield solutions is hiding in plain sight on our plates: preventing food waste.
More than 1 billion metric tons of food are lost or wasted each year globally, generating roughly 8% to 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions, according to the United Kingdom-based WRAP (Waste and Resources Action Programme), an environmental nongovernmental organization that is taking center stage at Climate Week NYC. Its objective: Elevate food waste prevention as an essential climate strategy that simultaneously strengthens food security and protects business bottom lines.
Raising the Profile of Food Waste at Climate Week NYC
Speaking on the organization’s presence at the global summit, Estelle Herszenhorn, director of food system transformation for WRAP, says tackling food waste offers an unmatched threefold benefit across ecological and financial systems.
“As a global environmental action NGO committed to creating circular living and reducing food waste, WRAP really wants to raise the profile of food waste as a win-win-win opportunity,” Herszenhorn says. “If we can reduce food waste, yes, the planet wins because of the emissions and resources that go into making that food — but people and businesses also win because it reduces costs and saves money, and governments win because it improves food security and resilience.”
To deliver these results at scale, WRAP relies heavily on its collaborative Voluntary Pact framework, running localized programs across the U.K., Europe, Mexico, Brazil, South Africa and Indonesia, alongside a global Food Pact Network connecting over 900 organizations.
“What we want to get from Climate Week is to show that we have a fantastic collaborative model that works,” Herszenhorn says. “All 10 of our current pacts, which we hope to grow, can come together to share best practices. While the profile is increasing and people are seeing the wins that come from food waste prevention, there is still more action needed.”
Data-Driven Breakthroughs in Retail and Supply Chains
Highly perishable specialty crops and fresh produce are among the most vulnerable commodities in the supply chain. Cutting down loss requires precompetitive collaboration where industry peers share operational playbooks rather than attempting to solve systemic inefficiencies in isolation.
“We see food waste data as really key to being able to unlock action,” Herszenhorn says. “So, what food is being wasted and in what quantities and why? ... One of the reasons we are behind our collaborative model — and actually this came from a food business — is the need for not everyone to have to relearn the same things over and over again. So, if you want to tackle food waste, we’ve got loads of existing best practice.”
Data from The Packer’s Sustainability Insights 2026 report underscores this financial alignment: 55% of grocers pointed to waste reduction programs as the initiative delivering their strongest financial return. Furthermore, while 73% of grocers report growing consumer demand for sustainable practices, 61% note that shoppers are unwilling to pay a premium for eco-friendly options, making operational waste reduction critical for protecting margin.
Herszenhorn says grocery retailers are already achieving quick wins by modernizing stock management and applying dynamic “reduce-to-clear” markdowns as items near expiration. According to Sustainability Insights 2026, 45% of retailers now deploy dynamic pricing and markdown technologies, with 23% rating dynamic markdowns as their single most effective waste-reduction tool.
“And one of the things I find really heartening about the collective approach is that there isn’t gatekeeping, you know; a retailer who might be competing with another retailer in volume sales actually is open to collaboration on a shared goal of how can we make this better for everybody and reduce food waste,” Herszenhorn says.
However, in-store execution remains a bottleneck. Sustainability Insights 2026 notes that 36% of grocers cite labor and resource constraints as primary barriers to food waste reduction, as tasks like manual inventory tracking place heavy burdens on store teams during busy operational shifts.
Unlocking the Home Opportunity: Produce Waste and Loose Sales
While farm-level and retail supply chain optimizations offer significant crop preservation, the household remains one of the largest single drivers of fresh produce waste. In the U.S. alone, the average household discards roughly $3,000 worth of edible food annually, Herszenhorn says.
“One of the biggest opportunities we see is actually in the home. ... Fresh fruit and veg, because they’re highly perishable, are often some of the most wasted items in our homes,” Herszenhorn says.
To combat this, simple structural changes at retail — such as clearer packaging instructions regarding refrigerated shelf life and expanding loose produce offerings — can dramatically curb overpurchasing and spoilage.
“Also, one of the things I’m seeing in the States that is much less prevalent in the U.K. ... is more fruit and veg sold loose, so without packaging,” Herszenhorn says. “So, if you’re in a single-person household or if, like me, you’re the only one in your house that likes bananas, you can just buy what you need instead.”
Scaling Up: A Call to Action
With proven mechanisms already delivering significant reductions — such as a 22% drop in U.K. food waste since 2007 and more than 220,000 metric tons of waste prevented across international networks — WRAP’s overriding message to commercial leaders during Climate Week is to join the movement and move from isolated success stories to global scale.
“I would love to just say that collaborative action really works,” Herszenhorn says. “We’ve got fantastic proof points, so it’s super heartening. But for businesses and organizations, it’s still quite early days. So, my real message is: Get involved. Every part of the food system has an opportunity to collaborate. We know what works, we’ve been working on it for 20 years, and we’re really committed to making it happen.”
