Resumo

One-third of all food produced for human consumption is lost or wasted in the food value chain. In the literature is recognized that there is a gap regarding the retail role in the food chain; retail is associated with the smallest index of the waste but also the highest influent power. It is mandatory in the context of the food value chain and waste reduction initiatives, to understand the retail role, its real influential power and how this power can be utilized toward a more sustainable chain. This gap is addressed by this work through a systematic literature review and research agenda

The objective of the present work is to understand the retail role in the food value chain regarding food loss and waste; the retail influential power from producers to household consumers; food waste at the retail level; initiatives to mitigate food waste through retail initiatives.

In the literature is recognized that there is a gap regarding the retail role in the food waste chain (Cicatiello et al., 2016; Teller, Holweg, Reiner, & Kotzab, 2018). To retail is associated the lowest level of waste along the food chain, but it is also recognized its influential power from producers to consumers (Dreyer, Dukovska-Popovska, Yu, & Hedenstierna, 2019; Tjärnemo & Södahl, 2015). The present work through a literature review identified what is already known related to retail and food waste and propose a research agenda for future studies.

A systematic literature review was developed to understand how the academic field is addressing food waste at the retail level and capture of gaps and topics to be further explored. The search results in 82 articles that were narrow to 48. All the articles were classified and have the content of abstract and introduction fully analyzed, 30 articles were fully read. The classification and initial analysis end on an excel spreadsheet with more than 900 fields. After that initial moment, new articles analysis was made to build the summaries and research agenda.

The literature shows that food waste (FW) is a "new" topic for the retail business and the discussion is more environmental than managerial. From the literature, analysis emerges four groups of themes: FW understanding, quantification, retail tools to mitigate FW, alternative solutions to FW. The research agenda includes topics such as FW size and reasons along the food chain, retail power understanding, FW impact beyond environmental impact, particularly in realities that faces food insecurity, like Brazil; the understanding of the motivation for sustainable behavior, especially the retail.

Retail has a strong and influent role in the food value chain, particularly at producers and consumer level. However, the lack of knowledge regarding specific roles and power at each part of the food value chain is a gap that needs to be fulfilled to make possible the design of efficient initiatives that aim to reduce food waste along with the food system.

This study is a literature review with almost 50 articles analysed. Here are 3 references identified as very important: Cicatiello, C., Franco, S., Pancino, B., & Blasi, E. (2016). The value of food waste: An exploratory study on retailing. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services; Devin, Bree; Richards, C. (2018). Food Waste, Power, and Corporate Social Responsibility in the Australian Food Supply Chain. Journal of Business Ethics; Gruber, V., Holweg, C., & Teller, C. (2015). What a Waste! Exploring the Human Reality of FWaste from the Store Manager’s Perspective. Public policy & Marketing