European Union member states have agreed that by 2030, the amount of food waste generated in households, retail and catering should be reduced by around one-third per capita. In the food industry, the target is a 10 percent reduction compared with roughly five years ago.

Sirje Potisepp, head of the Estonian Food Industry Association, stressed that companies are already making efforts to reduce waste.

"Since all production inputs have become more expensive, food manufacturers have consistently followed the principle of reducing food waste. Everything possible is done in production to avoid defects or anything else that would require raw materials or finished products to be thrown away," Potisepp said.

Potisepp said the food industry's role in food waste is actually small. She also expressed concern over whether the new regulations would bring any meaningful change.

"As always, we pass a regulation, tick the box and nothing changes. Regulating retailers and the food industry may also tick a box, but it will not move us forward. When it comes to food waste, we should really be dealing with the problem areas, which are households and public catering, including school meals that get thrown away," the food industry representative said.

Nele Peil, head of the Estonian Traders Association, likewise said that the overwhelming majority of food waste is generated in people's homes.

"I think the reason so much food goes to waste in households is simply that our standard of living has reached the level of wealthier Western countries where much more food has always been wasted," Peil said.

According to Peil, there are no simple ways left for retailers to further reduce food waste beyond current levels.

"From the retail sector's perspective, only the higher-hanging fruit remains. Better planning systems are the number one thing — stores simply should not buy in more than they can sell. That can never be made perfect because it is impossible to know exactly what a person will want to buy at the moment they come into the store. But this is the measure with the greatest impact," Peil said.

Kristel Kibin, head of the waste management department at the Ministry of Climate, said the target agreed on at the EU level is not actually that difficult for the food industry to achieve.

"For the food industry, this target is very likely achievable. More effort really needs to be directed toward retail, catering and households," Kibin said.

To reduce the amount of food waste generated by retailers, the ministry plans to require large grocery stores to have cooperation agreements with organizations similar to food banks.

Kibin explained that the requirement stems from an EU directive and in practice most retail chains already have such agreements in place. A national obligation could also encourage companies that currently do not donate food to begin doing so, she said.

"This is not a direct obligation to donate in every case, but rather an obligation for companies to take the step of finding a partner to whom they can propose a cooperation agreement and create the opportunity for food not to go to waste. In other words, we are not planning, nor can we say, that companies will necessarily be required to donate a certain quantity of food," Kibin noted.

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