Peter Freedman is the Former Managing Director of The Consumer Goods Forum, having served from January 2014 to June 2020.
He has almost 30 years’ experience in consumer industries globally. From 1984-2011 he worked for McKinsey & Company, advising both retail and consumer goods clients on issues of strategy, organisation, operational improvement, change management, and capability building. He led the firm’s Europe, Middle East & Africa consumer goods practice for over 10 years. He has worked as a consultant with both large multinationals and local family-owned companies, in most regions of the world.
After leaving McKinsey, Peter worked in non-executive roles with a variety of consumer-facing organisations. He continues to sit on the Boards of a retail start-up, a food charity, and the UK Government’s Ombudsman service. He was educated at both Cambridge University, England and Stanford University, USA.
“Champions 12.3 is a unique coalition of executives from governments, businesses, international organisations, research institutions and civil society dedicated to inspiring ambition and action. The CGF’s decision to join follows on our own resolution to drive action on the global issue of food waste, which our Board passed 12 months ago in New York. Our participation in Champions 12.3 further strengthens our members’ ability to meet the CGF objective to halve food waste from individual operations by 2025.” — Peter Freedman
The Consumer Goods Forum’s Work to Reduce Food Loss and Waste
Food Waste Reduction Key Focus for Consumer Goods Industry
The work of The Consumer Goods Forum (CGF) covers a number of key areas related to the development of sustainable business practices, but none have come to the fore more in the last 18 months than that of food waste. Since 2015, the CGF’s global membership – consumer goods retailers and manufacturers – have been working hard to promote the reduction of food waste throughout the supply chain, from farm to fork. This work is highlighted in a handful of major achievements over the last 18 months.
Our Commitment
First, in June 2015, the CGF announced its commitment to tackling the global food waste challenge by agreeing to halve food waste within the operations of its 400 retailer and manufacturers members. More specifically, the Food Waste Resolution states members will take action to half food waste from their individual operations by 2025, versus a 2016 baseline, and will contribute to the UN goal to halve per capita global food waste at the consumer level and reduce food losses along production and supply chains by 2030.
In order to help CGF members implement the new resolution, an implementation plan has been developed. The plan includes key steps that are being supported by food waste-specific events and webinars that are open to both CGF and non-CGF members. It also includes the sharing of best practice for which the CGF produced a Food Waste Booklet, launched in October 2016, highlighting the positive actions taken by members towards meeting the resolution. The case studies shared in the booklet serve as inspiration and guidance to others wishing to accelerate their food loss and waste measurement and reduction by showcasing an array of successful approaches to food waste from consumer goods companies.
Measurement
Second, recognising that central to the Food Waste Resolution is the need to set a clear benchmark for food waste today and set measurable goals to reduce food waste in the future, the CGF was also a key partner in the development of the Food Loss and Waste Accounting and Reporting Standard (FLW Standard).
The FLW Standard is the first-ever set of global definitions and reporting requirements for companies, countries and others to consistently and credibly measure, report on and manage food loss and waste. This is seen as an integral document in helping member companies to develop plans and take actions that lead to long-term benefits for both business and the planet. CGF members need to effectively quantify, measure and report on their food loss and waste, and the FLW Standard will help them do this with consistency and transparency.
Continuous Collaboration
As part of CGF’s collaborative and knowledge sharing approach, the first-ever Sustainable Retail Summit was held on 27th and 28th October in Paris. The conference brought together thought leaders from business, government and civil society and was a unique education and networking opportunity for all those in attendance. Food waste was one of the three core themes of the event, with three sessions focused exclusively on the topic. Participants shared their approaches to food loss and waste reduction and were able to ask experts in the field for their guidance and advice. These key learnings are vital for the successful implementation of the FLW Standard in their respective organisations which will ultimately help reduce global levels of food waste.