BS ISO 20001: The world's first food loss and waste management system standard
Explore the new standard and how it can help organizations take a structured, systematic approach to managing and reducing food loss and waste.
Read the article ›About ISO 20001
ISO 20001 is the forthcoming international standard specifying requirements for a Food Loss and Waste Management System. It is designed to help organizations across the entire food supply chain systematically measure, manage and minimize food loss and waste. Currently under development the standard provides a structured management system framework that enables organizations to move from fragmented initiatives to a consistent, measurable and continually improving approach.
What ISO 20001 Will Enable
The standard specifies requirements to help organizations:
- Plan, implement and maintain a food loss and waste management system
- Identify and measure food loss and waste across operations
- Establish governance, accountability and clear FLW policies
- Monitor performance and drive continual improvement
- Communicate FLW performance transparently to stakeholders
- Demonstrate conformity through certification or self-declaration
The framework is designed to be applicable to organizations of all sizes, from primary producers and manufacturers to retailers and food service providers.
Why It Matters
Food loss and waste remains a critical sustainability and operational challenge.
Globally, food loss and waste contributes up to 8–10% of greenhouse gas emissions, while representing significant economic loss across supply chains.
By standardizing how organizations document, measure, improve and report their food loss and waste performance, ISO 20001 aims to:
- Improve comparability and transparency
- Support data-driven decision-making
- Strengthen supply chain collaboration
- Contribute to global sustainability objectives, including SDGs 2, 12 and 13
Stay Informed
Following the launch of ISO 20001, BSI will be releasing additional guidance, case studies, practical tools and insights over the coming months to help organizations understand and apply the standard and strengthen their approach to food loss and waste.
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