For two days, ministers, entrepreneurs, activists, and royalty stood side by side at the Nordic Food Waste Summit 2023 in the common battle against wasted resources − through political panel discussions, visionary keynotes, coffee-fueled networking, and concrete business cases. This brief provides a summary of some of the discussions and conclusions that arose from the summit and the action needed ahead.

In the Nordic countries approximately 3.6 million tons of food are wasted annually. If food waste were a country, it would be the third biggest greenhouse gas emitter in the world. Reducing food loss and waste are key aspects to create sustainable food systems for the health of our environment, climate, and people. The Nordic Food Waste Summit 2023 made it abundantly clear that a stronger Nordic collaboration is one of the most important steppingstones towards a more resource-efficient and waste-free regional food system.