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Exploring incentives to move up the food waste Hierarchy: A case study of the Australian cheese manufacturing sector.

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Title: Exploring incentives to move up the food waste Hierarchy: A case study of the Australian cheese manufacturing sector.
Authors: Hetherington, Jack B.1,2,3 (AUTHOR) jack.hetherington@adelaide.edu.au, Loch, Adam J.1 (AUTHOR) adam.loch@adelaide.edu.au, Juliano, Pablo1 (AUTHOR) pablo.juliano@csiro.au, Umberger, Wendy J.4,5 (AUTHOR) wendy.umberger@aciar.gov.au
Source: Waste Management. Jun2025, Vol. 201, pN.PAG-N.PAG. 1p.
Subjects: Food waste, Circular economy, Cheesemaking, Environmental protection, Market failure
Abstract: [Display omitted] • The Food Waste Hierarchy guides global efforts to halving food loss and waste by 2030. • We assess motivators to 'move up' the hierarchy. • Profit, environmental protection, and government are important, but this varies. • Regulatory pressures differ across hierarchy levels. • Although, there is limited evidence regulations move firms 'up' the hierarchy. Halving food loss and waste by 2030 is a major global challenge. The Food Waste Hierarchy underpins strategies to achieve this, but understanding the relative importance of motivators to incentivise change is limited. This study utilises a pertinent case study of the major by-product of cheese-making, 'whey', to explore this in Australia and is underpinned by the Extended Institutional Theory as a key analytical framework. Through semi-structured interviews with 42 nationally-representative firms (31% of the industry), motivators were quantified using a novel 100-point allocation instrument, complemented with direct quotes from participants. Profit maximisation, environmental protection, and government regulation emerge as key motivators, but there is significant heterogeneity. Regulatory pressures are different across hierarchy-levels. However, results suggest they are not sufficient to result in firms 'moving up' the hierarchy. Notably, one participant that was currently disposing of whey and receiving AU$160,000 in non-compliance penalties, made a 'sideways' move within the lowest hierarchy level (disposal). Based on this study's sample, 41% of the industry's target could be achieved if all whey currently classified as 'waste' is diverted but findings indicate a potential failure of markets, governments, and social license to drive efficient resource allocation while limiting negative externalities. Pathways to challenge the status quo and transform the food system are discussed, which will likely require simultaneous forces to move enough firms up the hierarchy by 2030. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Waste Management is the property of Pergamon Press - An Imprint of Elsevier Science and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Engineering Source
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  Data: Exploring incentives to move up the food waste Hierarchy: A case study of the Australian cheese manufacturing sector.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Hetherington%2C+Jack+B%2E%22">Hetherington, Jack B.</searchLink><relatesTo>1,2,3</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<i> jack.hetherington@adelaide.edu.au</i><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Loch%2C+Adam+J%2E%22">Loch, Adam J.</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<i> adam.loch@adelaide.edu.au</i><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Juliano%2C+Pablo%22">Juliano, Pablo</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<i> pablo.juliano@csiro.au</i><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Umberger%2C+Wendy+J%2E%22">Umberger, Wendy J.</searchLink><relatesTo>4,5</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<i> wendy.umberger@aciar.gov.au</i>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Waste+Management%22">Waste Management</searchLink>. Jun2025, Vol. 201, pN.PAG-N.PAG. 1p.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Food+waste%22">Food waste</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Circular+economy%22">Circular economy</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Cheesemaking%22">Cheesemaking</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Environmental+protection%22">Environmental protection</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Market+failure%22">Market failure</searchLink>
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  Data: [Display omitted] • The Food Waste Hierarchy guides global efforts to halving food loss and waste by 2030. • We assess motivators to 'move up' the hierarchy. • Profit, environmental protection, and government are important, but this varies. • Regulatory pressures differ across hierarchy levels. • Although, there is limited evidence regulations move firms 'up' the hierarchy. Halving food loss and waste by 2030 is a major global challenge. The Food Waste Hierarchy underpins strategies to achieve this, but understanding the relative importance of motivators to incentivise change is limited. This study utilises a pertinent case study of the major by-product of cheese-making, 'whey', to explore this in Australia and is underpinned by the Extended Institutional Theory as a key analytical framework. Through semi-structured interviews with 42 nationally-representative firms (31% of the industry), motivators were quantified using a novel 100-point allocation instrument, complemented with direct quotes from participants. Profit maximisation, environmental protection, and government regulation emerge as key motivators, but there is significant heterogeneity. Regulatory pressures are different across hierarchy-levels. However, results suggest they are not sufficient to result in firms 'moving up' the hierarchy. Notably, one participant that was currently disposing of whey and receiving AU$160,000 in non-compliance penalties, made a 'sideways' move within the lowest hierarchy level (disposal). Based on this study's sample, 41% of the industry's target could be achieved if all whey currently classified as 'waste' is diverted but findings indicate a potential failure of markets, governments, and social license to drive efficient resource allocation while limiting negative externalities. Pathways to challenge the status quo and transform the food system are discussed, which will likely require simultaneous forces to move enough firms up the hierarchy by 2030. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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  Group: Ab
  Data: <i>Copyright of Waste Management is the property of Pergamon Press - An Imprint of Elsevier Science and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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        Value: 10.1016/j.wasman.2025.114810
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        Text: English
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        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Circular economy
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      – SubjectFull: Cheesemaking
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      – SubjectFull: Environmental protection
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      – SubjectFull: Market failure
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      – TitleFull: Exploring incentives to move up the food waste Hierarchy: A case study of the Australian cheese manufacturing sector.
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              M: 06
              Text: Jun2025
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