Unveiling the Appetite for Change

In the United States, nearly 40 percent of food is wasted every year. Professional meetings and events significantly contribute to this problem, with uneaten delicacies and untouched platters quietly discarded after every buffet and coffee break, even though high percentages of meeting planners wish to host sustainable meetings. World Wildlife Fund collaborated with Astrapto, a sustainability consultancy, to survey meeting planners regarding their attitudes toward food waste prevention. The findings reveal a compelling narrative: most planners and their clientele acknowledge that food waste is a significant industry problem, but proactive suggestions from venues to prevent food waste remain scarce. This white paper seeks to shed light on the gap between intention and action in addressing food waste in professional gatherings.