Food waste is food intended for human consumption which is thrown away. It occurs at every point along the food supply chain, including from: farms, processing and manufacturing, transport and distribution, retail, hospitality, and households. Are you wasting more than you think? According to End Food Waste Australia, Australian households throw away 2.5 million tonnes of food annually – that’s 7.7 million meals every day! Reducing food waste is a complex challenge. The solutions must consider how to reduce food waste across different parts of the food supply chain, from farms to households. Food loss and waste create significant economic, social, and environmental challenges. When food is lost or wasted, the resources used to produce, process and transport it are wasted too. The National waste and resource recovery report 2024 data shows food waste to landfill has decreased per capita from 2016-17 to 2022-23. While these are encouraging results, further action is needed.
Standards Australia has release AS ISO 20001 Food loss and waste management system — Requirements for the prevention and minimization of food loss and waste across the food supply chain for Public Comment until 30 November 2026. This document provides a structured approach to setting objectives, managing risks and monitoring progress, and helps organizations improve resource efficiency, reduce unnecessary costs and support more sustainable food systems. It helps organizations identify, measure, prevent and reduce food loss and waste throughout their operations and supply chains. It is applicable to all organisations in the food supply chain regardless of size and complexity and allows for any organisation, including small and/or less developed organisations (e.g. small retailer or food service outlet) to implement externally developed elements in its food loss & waste management system. It is identical to and reproduced from ISO 20001:2026 – Food loss and waste management system — Requirements for the prevention and minimization of food loss and waste across the food supply chain
Standards Australia encourages views and input from a wide cross section of the public on a draft publication during the Public Comment stage. Create a free account when you Login to Drafts Open for Public Comment and search for Draft AS ISO 20001 Food loss and waste management system. More information on How to Open, Browse, and Comment on a draft standards in the Standards Australia Public Comment Portal Guide. Public Comment closes on 30 November 2026.
Consumers Federation of Australia (CFA) engages with these issues by supporting a representative to the Standards Australia committee FT-037 Food loss and waste which mirrors the work of ISO TC 34 SC 20. Find out more about the CFA Standards Project and how to get involved. Anyone can view an Australian standard FREE in the Standards Australia – Reader Room, after registering you will have access to three (3) unique standards in one calendar year, with unlimited access to each standard for a 24-hour period, find out more on this video.