The Australian Institute of Packaging (AIP) has become a supporting signatory to the Australian Food Pact – a partnership of organisations operating along the farm-to-fork supply chain – and represents a major step towards reaching Australia's food waste reduction goal of 50 per cent by 2030.
“Becoming a supporting signatory to the Australian Food Pact is just another way for the AIP to continue our commitment to helping minimise food loss and waste in this country,” said Nerida Kelton, executive director at the AIP.
“The Institute is proud to be a founding partner of Stop Food Waste Australia and a core participant on the Fight Food Waste CRC, and we believe that everyone has a role to play in raising awareness of the serious issue of food waste.
“Packaging plays an important role in minimising food waste and we invite all of our members to join the Australian Food Pact so that the country can meet the 2030 Food Waste Targets.”
The Australian Food Pact is a voluntary agreement that follows a proven international way of reducing food waste, focusing on prevention, reuse (donation), and food chain transformation and innovation.
“Stop Food Waste Australia welcomes the AIP to the Australian Food Pact, and thanks them for their commitment to the bold and important goal of halving Australia’s food waste by 2030,” said Mark Barthel, chief operating officer at Stop Food Waste Australia.
“The Australian Food Pact is a voluntary agreement program that brings signatory companies, policymakers and industry bodies together to help tackle Australia’s annual $36.6 billion food waste challenge.
”We look forward to working closely with the AIP and their members as supporting signatories, recognising the important role packaging plays in reducing food waste and food insecurity.”
The Pact has four work programs, which are:
- Making the most of every scrap – by donating any surplus food or transforming it to create new business or societal value.
- Designing and sourcing more sustainable products in the first place, with waste prevention in mind.
- Producing more with less – making farming and manufacturing more efficient, and encouraging the whole supply chain to collaborate.
- Raising awareness and changing the culture around food waste in businesses, and helping consumers to reduce food waste.
