Overproduction in England’s Retail Food Chain: A Challenge for the Regulation of Food Waste

Reducing food waste has increasingly been recognised as a global challenge in achieving a sustainable future. There is a growing consensus in the food waste literature that the overproduction of food driven by economic incentives at the retail level is one of the most significant causes of food waste, both in the supply chain and at household level. Therefore, if we are to move to a more sustainable food system, one of the most pressing challenges for governments and regulators is to intervene in the food production system to reduce the overproduction of food.

This research explores questions of regulatory effectiveness in relation to the two main regulatory regimes that have the potential to reduce food waste caused by overproduction in England: the voluntary Courtauld Commitment and the Grocery Supply Chain Code of Practice, which is policed by the Grocery Code Adjudicator. Empirical fieldwork consisting of interviews with key actors across the supply chain were undertaken to assess the progress being made by these regulatory regimes to reduce food waste in primary production, manufacturing, retail and in households.

This research suggests that the reduction of food waste caused by overproduction presents a very significant regulatory challenge. This research has found that the potential for the Grocery Supply Chain Code of Practice to reduce food waste is constrained by ambiguity in the Code and complexities within the task environment of the Groceries Code Adjudicator. In relation to voluntary food waste prevention, the stated strength of the Courtauld Commitment is that it operates in a pre-competitive space where industry can put aside competition and commercial interest and collaborate to deliver change in the most efficient, effective way. However, this research suggests that when it comes to reducing food waste caused by overproduction, competition and commercial interests create significant barriers to the level of collaboration that is required to implement effective solutions, both within the supply chain and at household level.