Background
Today, over 931 million tons of food are wasted annually worldwide, while nearly 828 million people go hungry. The food service industry is a major contributor, with significant waste generated through over-ordering, inefficient procurement, inaccurate forecasting, and poorly optimized inventory practices.
Food waste is not just an economic issue, it accounts for nearly 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions, exacerbating the climate crisis. In the UK alone, the hospitality and food service sector wastes over 1.1 million tonnes of food each year, representing billions of pounds in lost revenue and environmental damage.
Despite digital advances, many food businesses still rely on static, historical forecasting models that fail to account for dynamic real-world factors such as weather patterns, foot traffic, social trends, and supply chain disruptions. As a result, vast quantities of food are ordered unnecessarily, expire unused, and are ultimately discarded.
Problem statement
We invite participants to develop AI-powered, real-time, scalable solutions that tackle this systemic issue of food waste.
Solutions could focus on:
- Smarter demand forecasting (using AI/ML models integrating weather, events, and historical trends)
- Dynamic procurement and inventory optimization (to minimize overstocking and spoilage)
- Real-time monitoring and predictive alerts (using IoT or smart dashboards)
- Customer behavior insights to influence more sustainable ordering and consumption
Winning solutions must demonstrate:
- High impact potential on waste reduction
- Technical feasibility and ease of integration into current operations
- Scalability across different food service environments
By addressing food waste, you will be helping to solve a critical environmental, economic, and social challenge, accelerating progress toward global Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 12.3) and creating a lasting positive impact.
Solutions areas to explore
- AI-Powered Demand Forecasting:
- Predict daily/weekly demand using real-time data (weather, foot traffic, events).
- Machine Learning models that evolve over time.
- Smart Procurement Solutions:
- Automate purchasing decisions based on dynamic demand forecasts.
- Alert systems for overstock/understock scenarios.
- Inventory Optimization:
- Track shelf life of perishable items using IoT/smart sensors.
- Real-time inventory visibility dashboards.
- Menu Optimization and Customer Experience:
- Suggest daily menus based on available inventory to reduce waste.
- Personalized offers to influence customer ordering behavior.
- Waste Analytics and Reporting:
- Visualization tools showing waste hotspots.
- Actionable insights for kitchen operations and procurement teams.
Important design considerations
- Scalability: Can your solution be applied across multiple sites?
- Sustainability Impact: How much waste (in weight or cost) could it potentially reduce?
- Ease of Adoption: Can the solution fit into existing workflows?
- Cost-effectiveness: Affordable technology that shows a return on investment.
- Innovation: Is there a "wow factor" that makes your approach unique?
Industry data points
- Globally, 17% of total food available to consumers is wasted (UNEP 2021).
- 8-10% of global greenhouse gas emissions are associated with food waste (UNEP 2021).
- Reducing food waste could save the UK hospitality sector over £3.2 billion per year (WRAP).
Supporting Resources
- WRAP UK Food Waste Report: www.wrap.org.uk
- UNEP Food Waste Index 2021: www.unep.org/resources/report/unep-food-waste-index-report-2021
- World Resources Institute Food Loss and Waste Protocol: www.flwprotocol.org
- Compass Group Sustainability Initiatives: www.compass-group.com/sustainability
You have the power to create solutions that not only solve a business problem but contribute to solving one of the world's biggest environmental challenges.
Think big. Think scalable. Think zero waste.
Good luck, and let's make an impact together!