We research food waste across the entire Norwegian food value chain – to record the extent of the problem, understand the causes and develop effective measures to reduce it.
We consider all food produced for human consumption but not eaten by humans to be food waste.
Food waste represents a significant environmental, climate and resource problem, and reducing the amount of food waste can potentially yield major benefits.
When food is produced, transported and processed without being eaten, it leads to unnecessary greenhouse gas emissions, land use, energy consumption and loss of economic value. At the same time, reducing food waste is one of the most effective measures for reducing the food sector’s environmental impact.
NORSUS has been researching food waste for more than 15 years. We map food waste volumes, causes and measures to reduce it at every stage of the value chain: the food industry, wholesalers, the retail sector, kiosks, petrol stations and service outlets, the catering industry, the public sector and households. This mapping combines several methods, including:
In Norway, the food industry has agreed to reduce its food waste by 50 per cent by 2030, and in 2025 matsvinnloven (the Food Waste Act) was passed. These commitments mean that both the business sector and the authorities are required to document, monitor and implement effective measures to prevent food waste. Our research and analyses show how we are progressing towards achieving the target in the industry agreement, and provide a knowledge base for prioritising and tailoring measures.
In addition to calculating food waste volumes, we estimate greenhouse gas emissions and the economic costs associated with food waste. In collaboration with Matvett , we also conduct annual, nationally representative consumer surveys to monitor trends in food waste in Norwegian households and to map habits and attitudes. We also carry out interventions to test measures that can prevent and reduce food waste.
NORSUS is a member of the Norwegian consortium in the EU Platform on Food Losses and Food Waste , together with Matvett and Nofima. This is an international network of experts, researchers and authorities who share knowledge and experiences from their work on preventing and reducing food waste. Through this collaboration, we actively contribute to the development of a common knowledge base and best practices in Europe.
We are involved in several sub-groups within the platform: the sub-groups on Action and Implementation, Prevention of Food Waste among Consumers, and Measurement and Monitoring of Food Waste, where we work on methodology, data sets and effective measures to reduce food waste.
Food waste:
Food waste refers to edible parts of food produced for human consumption that are either discarded or removed from the food chain for purposes other than human consumption, from the point at which animals are slaughtered or plants are harvested.
Bread Rescuers, a research project led by Nofima, in which we are testing measures to reduce bread waste among the general public.
The annual national consumer survey on food waste , conducted in collaboration with Matvett, provides time-series data on trends in Norwegian households’ self-reported food waste, as well as knowledge, habits and motivation related to food waste reduction.
