The banana. Curvy, thick on the outside and softly sweet on the inside and surprisingly floats in water.

With a staggering 5 million bananas consumed in Australian homes every day and a production value of 597 million, how are industry corporations addressing the issue of food waste?

In this episode, Dr Joanne Freeman chats with both Melissa Smith (End Food Waste Australia) and Dr Rosie Godwin (Australian Banana Growers’ Council) to hear about what the root causes and solutions towards less waste in the banana industry are. Listen in to hear all about:

• How people often mention that data without a purpose is meaningless, but when used to guide food waste reduction actions, it becomes incredibly valuable.

• It's not easy to produce bananas at the snap of your fingers. Designing solutions for oversupply is tricky when people are running a business and need to meet market needs.

• It can be challenging because, as we are aware, consumers tend to demand a perfectly ripe yellow banana without any imperfections. However, this mindset is not sustainable if we truly want to reduce food waste.

• There needs to be an effort to educate consumers on the importance of accepting slight imperfections in order to achieve our goal.

To find out more about the sector action plans mentioned in this interview please visit ⁠ https://endfoodwaste.com.au/sector-action-plans/#scroll6⁠. You can also find out about the Australian Food Service Advocacy Body at ⁠https://www.ausfab.org/.⁠

A big thank you to ABGC and End Food Waste Australia for their time and support in fighting against food waste.

This podcast is brought to you by Honey & Fox, where their passion is food and the people who produce it. Honey & Fox specialise in getting you in front of the right people, in the right place, at the right time. Find out more at www.honeyandfox.com.au.

This podcast is supported by End Food Waste Australia who are leading impactful and research-informed food waste actions. To find out more about how they are working toward a more sustainable future please visit ⁠www.endfoodwaste.com.au⁠.

Do you think it’s possible to stand out in the food services sector by focusing on reducing food waste?

In this episode, Dr. Joanne Freeman is speaking with Tony Green, the CEO of Australian Food Service Advocacy Body (AFAB). Since April 2021, AFAB has been working towards one goal: to boost and support Australia's Foodservice sector. It unites senior leaders from all aspects of the industry to create a strong, unified voice for this vital supply chain. Listen in to hear all about:

Tony’s passion for food waste reduction is apparent through the interview. As a chef for many years, it is clear that he is keen to advocate for the food industry in order to get industries on board.

Tune in to uncover:

• The overlooked issue of waste: Why is monitoring and reducing the waste footprint not a priority for many businesses today?

• Cost-saving benefits: How can focusing on food waste reduction translate into financial savings for small business owners?

• Enhancing industry involvement: What steps can be taken to increase awareness, knowledge, and proactive measures in the sector?

To find out more about the catering action plan mentioned in this interview please visit https://endfoodwaste.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Catering_SAP_Report_FINAL.pdf. You can also find out about the Australian Food Service Advocacy Body at https://www.ausfab.org/.

This podcast is brought to you by Honey & Fox, where their passion is food and the people who produce it. Honey & Fox specialise in getting you in front of the right people, in the right place, at the right time. Find out more at www.honeyandfox.com.au.

This podcast is supported by End Food Waste Australia who are leading impactful and research-informed food waste actions. To find out more about how they are working toward a more sustainable future please visit www.endfoodwaste.com.au.

Picture this: the bread and bakery waste in Australia adds up to an astonishing 456 million loaves annually. Dr. Joanne Freeman sits down with Carolyn Cameron from End Food Waste Australia, where she’s spearheading initiatives as the Sector Action Plan Program Lead. Her role is pivotal in bringing together the key players in the supply chain to tackle food waste head-on. Today, we unpack the collaborative efforts that have culminated in the Bread and Bakery Sector Action Plan.

Listen in as Joanne and Carolyn discuss:

• Collaboration and conversations to make the changes needed to reduce food waste.

• What's causing the waste? What can we do about it? And where's the best place to start making changes?

• The confronting statistic that 19% of all Australia’s food waste happens in food service and institutions.

• Solutions for the bakery industry, such as improved stock inventories and systems, measuring waste, and incentives such as the Don’t Waste Your Dough report which highlights the importance of progressive improvements. You can read more here https://endfoodwaste.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Dont-waste-your-dough.pdf

• The importance of establishing dialogue across industries and looking for opportunities to implement and increase productivity and profit for small businesses.

If you are wanting to find out more information about the Sector Plans and how they could help your business to www.endfoodwaste.com.au where you will find the six current action plans which include bread and bakery, dairy, food cold chain, food rescue, food service and horticulture.

And if you want to get in touch with Carolyn or one of the sector action plan team members just send an email to enquiries@endfoodwaste.com.au.

This podcast is brought to you by Honey & Fox, where their passion is food and the people who produce it. Honey & Fox specialise in getting you in front of the right people, in the right place, at the right time. Find out more at www.honeyandfox.com.au.

This podcast is supported by End Food Waste Australia who are leading impactful and research-informed food waste actions. To find out more about how they are working toward a more sustainable future please visit www.endfoodwaste.com.au.