According to the United Nations World Food Programme, roughly one-third of all food produced for human consumption is lost or wasted. Through Kellogg's commitment to create Better Days for 3 billion people by the end of 2030, Kellogg today announced that since 2016, it has reduced its total organic waste by 13.4 percent and total waste per pound of food produced by 5.7 percent. Furthermore, in 2019, just 1.1 percent of food handled across its manufacturing operations went unused globally, which was provided to local food banks and farmers for animal feed.

"The number of people facing hunger is increasing significantly due to the COVID-19 pandemic," said Amy Senter, Kellogg Company chief sustainability officer. "We're helping to eradicate hunger, fight climate change, and ensure there is enough nutritious food available for all by working across our supply chain to reduce waste from farm to family."

Kellogg is doing several things to help reduce food loss and waste. For example:

• In 2019, Kellogg partnered with the Mexico Food Bank Network to collect more than 35 million servings of fruits and vegetables to feed people facing hunger versus ending up in the landfill.
• In the U.S., "perfectly imperfect" apples, strawberries and other fruits are used for the filling in Nutri-Grain bars and Pop-Tarts.
• In its facilities, the company is modifying equipment and improving processes to enhance production efficiency.
• In the U.K., imperfect Kellogg's Corn Flakes are provided to the local Seven Brothers brewery to make a range of ales. In Spain, Kellogg is partnering with a brewery that makes Rosita beer using imperfect Choco Krispies.
• Through Kellogg's Postharvest Loss Reduction Program, the company is providing training in India, Bangladesh, South Africa, Thailand, the Philippines and other countries on improved farming and storage practices. Over a three-year collaboration with ACDI/VOCA, smallholder date farmers in Egypt reduced postharvest losses by 58 percent.
• The company is continuing to use more resealable packaging to help keep foods fresh longer and standardizing packaging labels to "Best if used by" to help people reduce food waste at home.

Kellogg is also working with stakeholders and charity partners to advocate for food loss and waste reduction. Kellogg was one of the first companies to join Champions 12.3, a group of global leaders from government, business, research and farming communities committed to cutting global food waste by 50 percent at the retail and consumer level, and reducing food losses along production and supply chains (including post-harvest losses) by 2030. 

Most recently in partnership with retailers, the company joined the 10x20x30 initiative committed to reducing food loss and waste in their supply chains by 50 percent by 2030, following a "Target-Measure-Act" approach. Kellogg also was one of 12 companies to help launch the Consumer Goods Forum's CEO-led Coalition of Action on Food Waste to reduce food loss in supply chains worldwide through driving implementation of local reduction programs and engaging key stakeholders in North America, Latin America, China and Japan. 

"Our commitment to transparency and sharing best practices, as well as collaborating with the industry and other partners, has been instrumental to our progress," said Senter. "The COVID-19 pandemic brought unique challenges to tackling food loss and waste, but we are laser focused on collectively achieving the SDG goal of zero hunger by the end of 2030."

Learn more about Kellogg's food loss and waste progress at KelloggCompany.com.

Related: Exclusive interview: Q&A with Kellogg's on sustainability and greenhouse gas reduction