A new national report has found that trading practices across Australia’s food supply chain may be contributing to food loss and waste (FLW).
The project, Understanding trading practices contributing to food loss and waste in Australia, is the first of its kind to examine how supply chain dynamics, including contracting, data transparency and overproduction, may be influencing food waste outcomes.
The final report, led by QUT Associate Professor Bree Hurst from the School of Advertising, Marketing and PR in collaboration with the End Food Waste Cooperative Research Centre, found that systemic issues such as market imbalances, lack of transparency and limitations in regulatory codes are contributing to inefficiencies and surplus food that often goes to waste.
Other project team members included Dr Jessica Thiel and QUT Centre for Justice members, Professor Rowena Maguire, Associate Professor Hope Johnson and PhD candidate Hannah Churton.
The full report, Understanding How Trading Practices Affect Food Loss and Waste in Australia (2025), is available online.
This research was also reported in Food Magazine Australia.
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