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Across the industry, companies are navigating growing expectations around Food Loss & Waste (FLW) reporting — from regulatory frameworks and SDG 12.3 alignment to retailer scorecards and customer sustainability commitments. But while the urgency is clear, the path forward often isn’t.
When organizations talk about Food Loss & Waste, the conversation often starts — and stops — with reporting: total tonnage, reduction targets, and alignment with global goals. While measurement is necessary, it’s not sufficient on its own.
The real shift happens when companies move from measuring waste to tracing it. Food loss isn’t random. It’s tied to specific batches, supplier inputs, process variation, packaging design, forecasting gaps, and distribution failures. Measuring at the facility level shows volume; tracing loss back through the system reveals root cause.
This is where Food Loss & Waste becomes an operational improvement lever, not just a reporting requirement. Traceability enables organizations to link loss to production runs, supplier lots, high‑risk SKUs, and supply chain disruptions — creating the opportunity to fix the system, not just document the outcome.
In this session, we’ll walk through the Target–Measure–Act framework, offering a practical, end‑to‑end approach to building a Food Loss & Waste Management System inside a manufacturing environment — from setting reduction targets and building measurement infrastructure to activating cross‑functional solutions that drive both environmental and business results.
Expect an honest conversation about:
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How leading organizations are aligning FLW strategies with SDG 12.3 and broader ESG commitments
- Tools and methodologies for establishing credible baseline measurements and traceability
- Operational levers for waste reduction across production, packaging, and supply chain
- How retailers and customers are shaping reporting and performance expectations
- The business case for action, including cost savings, efficiency gains, and brand impact
Speakers:
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Ryan Lynch
Practice Director, Sustainability Practice
The British Standards Institute (BSI)
Ryan Lynch is the Practice Director of BSI's Sustainability Practice, and leads a team of practitioners focused on driving collective action to advance decarbonization, climate action, and sustainable supply chains. He and his Climate/Carbon team develop and manage GHG reporting programs, conduct Life Cycle Assessments, develop Carbon Reduction Management Programs, and deliver Climate Risk Adaptation Programs. He and his Sustainable Supply Chain team also have extensive experience related to decent work, forced labor, and EHS/GHG improvements in global supply chains.
Kristen Lee
Director of Business Initiatives
ReFED
Kristen Lee serves as Director of Business Initiatives, leading ReFED's work on the U.S. Food Waste Pact—the first national data-driven, pre-competitive collaboration on food waste reduction.
Previously, Kristen worked in sustainability in corporate foodservice operations, first with Aramark on the Nike WHQ account and, most recently, with Compass Group on the Google Food Program in the Bay Area.
Outside of work, Kristen has taught as an adjunct lecturer at Santa Clara University on food industry innovation and sustainability. They enjoy being outside, swimming, foraging, and cycling long distances to raise money for climate action and justice organizations with Climate Ride.
Bob Garrison, Moderator
Director of Industry Engagement- Food & Beverage Manufacturing and Innovation Sector
BNP Media
In February 2026, BNP Media named Bob Garrison Director of Industry Engagement for the company’s Food & Beverage Manufacturing and Innovation Sector. This group includes eight industry titles and four events.
Broad industry titles include Prepared Foods (innovation / R&D), Food Engineering (food operations/automation), Packaging Strategies and Refrigerated & Frozen Foods (cold chain). Vertical industry titles include Beverage Industry, Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery (including Candy), National Provisioner (meat/poultry/seafood) and Dairy Foods.
The group’s related events include the Global Pouch Forum, the Membrane Technology Forum, Converters Expo and Converters Expo South.
Prior to this role, Garrison served from 2012 through 2025 as Editor-in-Chief of Prepared Foods, a title serving 43,000 qualified food and beverage executives influencing new products—from consumer insights and strategic innovation through food science, R&D, culinary, nutrition and purchasing.