EURO 2024 Copenhagen
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2457. Optimizing household food planning: a rolling horizon MILP model for reducing food waste

Invited abstract in session WD-13: Reducing Food Waste, stream Secure & Sustainable Food Supply.

Wednesday, 14:30-16:00
Room: 15 (building: 116)

Authors (first author is the speaker)

1. Maike van Rooijen
Operations Research and Logistics, Wageningen University
2. G.D.H. (Frits) Claassen
Operations Research and Logistics, Wageningen University
3. Sander De Leeuw
Wageningen University & Research
4. J.C. Gerdessen
Operations Research and Logistics, Wageningen University

Abstract

One-third of the global food production is lost or wasted. Of the total food waste in Europe, about 50% is caused by households. Food waste is the undesired result of multiple household food management behaviors. Food waste prevention behaviors, such as planning, aim to avoid a surplus of food reaching the household. However, the unpredictability of everyday life causes households to deviate from plans. Food recovery behaviors focus on using all the food that has entered the household. Although food prevention interventions have been thoroughly studied, interventions targeting food recovery have not yet received much attention in literature. Food recovery is, among other factors, influenced by household demographics, flexible cooking skills, shopping frequency, and shelf-stable food items on stock. As many of these factors are interrelated, it is difficult to quantify the effect of individual factors on food waste. Simulations of complex problems have proven helpful to shape interventions. However, they have not yet been used to study food waste. The aim of this study is to develop a meal planning model with a rolling horizon to simulate disruptions that might occur in everyday life with different shopping strategies. This gives insights into best practices regarding food recovery behaviors. The results of this study can be used to shape new interventions to reduce food waste.

Keywords

Status: accepted

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