News article, 31. May 2022

Food waste is of increasing concern to Danes

40 per cent of Danes are making a greater effort to reduce food waste in their daily lives. Rising food prices and more focus on sustainability are the reason.

The Danes are becoming increasingly aware of food waste, with many showing an interest in reducing the amount of food they throw away. This is the finding of a new Gallup survey carried out by Kantar Public for the Danish Agriculture & Food Council and Stop Spild Af Mad (Stop Food Waste).

In the new survey, 39 per cent of Danes claim that food waste is of greater importance in their household compared to last year. 68 per cent state that they would like to avoid more food waste in the future.

Ukraine war, price rises and focus on the climate

When you consider the current agenda in Denmark, the figures make good sense, says Per Vesterbæk, Area Director for Analysis & Statistics, the Danish Agriculture & Food Council.

"Rising food and energy prices naturally worry consumers. Many think about how to cut down and optimise their consumption for the sake of the climate and for their own budgetary reasons. We expect the war in Ukraine to result in further price rises for food so the incentive to save and reduce food waste will only increase as time goes on,” says Per Vesterbæk.

In another survey conducted by Norstat for the Danish Agriculture & Food Council in April, seven 7 of 10 Danes state that they have changed their behaviour in one way or another since the start of the war in Ukraine. Some 68 per cent of Danes expect to have less money to spend over the next 3-6 months. In this respect, cutting down on food waste can ease the household budget, which is why it is such a topical subject.

Food industry has food waste in its sights

The food industry has been looking to reduce food waste across the entire value chain for a number of years. Less food waste can also lead directly to economic and climate benefits.

Facts behind the survey

The new survey is part of an entirely new initiative intended to provide consumers and businesses with more useable data on food waste. Kantar Public, the Danish Agriculture & Food Council and Stop Spild Af Mad have joined forces to launch a new database at Madspildsindeks.dk, which consists of an in-depth, representative and qualified annual Gallup survey which gauges the Danes’ attitude to food waste.