Goal 12 is about ensuring sustainable consumption and production patterns, which is key to sustain the livelihoods of current and future generations. Unsustainable patterns of consumption and production are root causes of the triple planetary crises of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution. These crises, and related environmental degradation, threaten human well-being and achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. Governments and all citizens should work together to improve resource efficiency, reduce waste and pollution, and shape a new circular economy.

The European Commission’s key instrument to achieve the SDG 12.3 target, without compromising food safety, feed safety and/or animal health, is the EU Platform on Food Losses and Food Waste (FLW). The Platform was established in 2016, bringing together all key players from public and private sectors to identify, measure, understand and find solutions to food waste in the complex and dynamic system of the food supply chain.

The European Food Information Council (EUFIC) is a consumer-oriented non-profit organisation, founded to make the science behind food and health more accessible and easier to understand among the public.

In October 2021 the European Commission published a call for feedbacks on a Roadmap for Food Waste Reduction Targets. The initiative is part of the EU Farm to Fork Strategy for a fair, healthy and environmentally-friendly food system. The objective of the initiative is a revision of the Waste Framework Directive by introducing therein food waste reduction targets, thus also supporting the EU Platform on Food Losses and Food Waste, a multi-stakeholder platform already established.

Tackling food loss and waste is a defined target- SDG target 12.3 - within the internationally agreed Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). As custodians of this target, FAO and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) measure and monitor progress on efforts to reduce food loss and waste against the Global Food Loss and Waste Index.

In the United States, food waste is estimated at between 30–40 percent of the food supply.

Foodsharing Luxembourg is an environmental non-profit organisation (a.s.b.l.), which consists of volunteer members, whose vision is that all edible foods in Luxembourg are consumed.

The Food Waste Atlas allows governments and companies to understand how food loss and waste is occurring, helping them play their part in creating a sustainable food system.

The International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste is an opportunity to call to action both the public (national or local authorities) and the private sector (businesses and individuals), to prioritise actions and move ahead with innovation to reduce food loss and waste towards restoring and building back better and resilient-ready, food systems.

Stop Wasting Food movement Denmark is Denmark’s largest non-profit movement against food waste, which has initiated the fight against food waste in Denmark.

In the European Union, 1/5 of the food produced is wasted. This is not acceptable and shows the need to swiftly shift towards sustainable food systems. Only when we rethink our relation to food production and consumption will we be able not to waste it but also to produce it in a fair and sustainable way.