The CEC was created by the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and is a trinational organization that addresses environmental issues that cross North American borders.
Some facts from CEC’s Food Loss & Waste Research:
- In North America, approximately 168 million tons of food loss and waste are generated annually.
- Food loss & waste equates to 13 million tons in Canada, 28 million tons in Mexico and 126 million tons in the U.S.
- Food loss and waste amounts to economic losses of US$278 billion per year.
- Food waste in North America generates approximately 193 million tons of GHGs.
The CEC is calling on food processors, producers, retailers, restaurant operators, foodservice providers, business associations and stakeholders across North America to start measuring food waste today, as well as to take steps to minimize it.
The practical guide provides easy-to-use measurement guidelines for every segment of the food value chain, from primary production to manufacturing to the foodservice industry.
The technical report, Quantifying Food Loss and Waste and Its Impacts, released alongside the guide, provides methods to quantify food loss and waste and food surplus across the supply chain, as well as tools to estimate the environmental, financial and social impacts of food loss and waste.
The practical guide and the technical report are the results of a close collaboration with key stakeholders from the three countries, including the private sector and several experts.
The CEC also is releasing two food waste measurement case studies, on Beau’s Brewing Co. in Vankleek Hill, Ontario, and on Toks Restaurants in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. Both organizations have a longstanding commitment to sustainability, and they both used the CEC tools in the practical guide to maximize their business potential while helping the environment and communities.
“We really see the social and environmental value and cost-saving potential of food waste prevention and reduction," said Gustavo Pérez Berlanga, Toks Restaurant Group’s senior vice president for social responsibility. "We’re keen to share this with the restaurant industry in Mexico because of the positive impact it has on communities and the environment.”
César Rafael Chávez is executive director of the Secretariat of the Commission for Environmental Cooperation, an intergovernmental organization that supports the cooperative environmental agenda of Canada, Mexico and the United States by promoting a low-carbon economy. Chávez is experienced in environmental planning and project management and has worked in both the public and private sectors. dealing with national and international issues.