From Waste to Worth: 10 Companies Using Technology to Tackle Global Food Waste

Food waste is one of the most pressing inefficiencies in the global food system. More than 1.3 billion tonnes of food are lost or wasted each year, representing roughly one-third of all food produced. This not only results in significant financial losses but also contributes to food insecurity and nearly 10 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions.
For leaders across agriculture, retail, and foodservice, reducing waste is both a sustainability imperative and a business opportunity. A new generation of companies is delivering scalable solutions that help stakeholders measure, manage, and prevent waste from farm to fork.

Understanding Where Waste Happens

Food waste occurs across every segment of the value chain:

Production: Cosmetic rejection, market oversupply, inefficient harvesting
Post-harvest and Storage: Lack of cold chain infrastructure, spoilage in transit
Retail: Overstocking, poor expiry-date management, static pricing
Foodservice and Consumers: Oversized portions, mislabelling, and inadequate waste tracking

The following ten companies are at the forefront of tackling these challenges through a range of technologies including artificial intelligence, supply chain analytics, shelf-life extension, and consumer platforms.

Ten Companies Transforming the Fight Against Food Waste

Orbisk
Solution: Automated food waste monitoring for professional kitchens
Approach: Orbisk combines image recognition and artificial intelligence to track what is thrown away in commercial kitchens. The system categorises waste by type and quantity, providing data-driven insights to reduce unnecessary disposal.
Impact: Clients regularly achieve waste reductions of up to 50 per cent, improving margins and sustainability credentials.

OneThird
Solution: Shelf-life prediction for fresh produce
Approach: OneThird uses near-infrared sensors and machine learning to assess the freshness of fruit and vegetables in real time. The platform enables better routing and inventory decisions throughout the supply chain.
Impact: Prevents premature spoilage and reduces waste at distribution and retail levels.

RapidPricer
Solution: Automated dynamic pricing for perishables
Approach: RapidPricer integrates with in-store systems to apply real-time markdowns based on expiry dates, inventory levels, and demand forecasts.
Impact: Enables retailers to recover value from items nearing expiry and significantly reduces shrinkage.

KITRO
Solution: Smart food waste analytics for hospitality and catering
Approach: KITRO offers a plug-and-play solution with sensors and artificial intelligence to monitor food discarded in commercial bins. It generates actionable insights on what, when, and why food is wasted.
Impact: Supports operational improvements and cost reductions while enhancing sustainability metrics.

Too Good To Go
Solution: Surplus food recovery via mobile marketplace
Approach: Too Good To Go connects consumers with unsold food from local restaurants, bakeries, and supermarkets. Users can purchase these items at discounted prices through a simple mobile app.
Impact: Over 200 million meals saved to date, with operations in more than 17 countries and growing adoption among retailers and foodservice groups.

Apeel
Solution: Plant-based protective coating for fresh produce
Approach: Apeel creates edible, plant-derived coatings that slow down spoilage by reducing moisture loss and oxidation. This technology is applied directly to fruit and vegetables post-harvest.
Impact: Extends shelf life by days or even weeks, reducing food loss at retail and in homes without requiring plastic packaging.

Hazel Technologies
Solution: Packaging inserts that extend shelf life
Approach: Hazel Technologies provides small sachets that release natural compounds to inhibit the ripening process. These inserts are used in packaging for produce and flowers.
Impact: Reduces waste in cold storage and long-haul distribution, especially for exporters and wholesalers.

Winnow
Solution: Artificial intelligence waste tracking for professional kitchens
Approach: Winnow combines weighing scales, image recognition, and smart software to record what food is thrown away. Kitchens use the insights to adjust preparation and purchasing.
Impact: Clients typically cut food waste by 30 to 70 per cent, with direct financial and environmental benefits.

Imperfect Foods / Oddbox
Solution: Rescuing imperfect produce for consumer delivery
Approach: Both companies work directly with farmers and suppliers to source “ugly” or surplus fruit and vegetables that would otherwise be discarded due to cosmetic standards. These are delivered directly to consumers through subscription models.
Impact: Helps farmers monetise off-spec produce while educating consumers and reducing on-farm waste.

Full Harvest
Solution: B2B marketplace for surplus and imperfect produce
Approach: Full Harvest connects food and beverage companies with farms that have excess or imperfect produce. The platform facilitates bulk purchasing and logistics coordination.
Impact: Diverts tonnes of usable produce from landfill into processed food, beverages, and other products.

Why This Matters for the Agri-Food Sector

Food waste reduction aligns with critical industry objectives:

Improved operational efficiency
Lowered environmental impact and carbon footprint
Stronger ESG performance and investor confidence
Enhanced regulatory compliance
Greater consumer trust and brand differentiation

For executives seeking to future-proof their operations, these technologies are more than sustainability tools. They represent measurable ROI and long-term competitive advantage.

AgriExecs Perspective

The companies featured here exemplify the innovation that is transforming the food system into one that is more efficient, resilient, and responsible. From shelf-life science to supply chain optimisation and consumer engagement, these solutions are helping to turn waste into value.