AbstractsBusiness Management & Administration

Food waste is a global issue that causes major damage economically, environmentally and socially. Stakeholders carry a shared responsibility for the waste and more effort is needed to prevent its creation. Retailers, an affluent link in the food supply chain (FSC), can make a difference. Solving the food waste issue requires comprehending what has already been done. Understanding the field and analyzing the impacts of different kind of food waste initiatives from various perspectives can benefit the food industry as well as non-governmental organizations and public authorities on the path towards more sustainable processes. The aim of this research is to define what kind of food waste initiatives have been implemented among the leading European food retailers between the years 2011 and 2014. The research is carried out from a European perspective as its field of food trade is considered unique in terms of policies, integration and the development of the functions of the FSC. The research was implemented through a qualitative content analysis from a deductive point of view during autumn 2014. The theoretical framework of the paper consists of literature related to the European food retail sector, the food waste issue and corporate social responsibility (CSR). The data used in the content analysis was collected from Europe’s leading retailers’ CSR reports and homepage publications. It was then analyzed from various perspectives, with an emphasis to the causes of food waste and the theory of CSR. The research found that retailers have implemented several different food waste programs which vary with respect to their objectives, duration, strategic integration and operational aspects. The initiatives present a variety of economic, environmental and social CSR dimensions and outputs. The paper argues that retailers have used innovative solutions in their food waste programs that have resulted in environmental and other benefits.