World's largest cruise company shares progress
on fighting food waste in advance of International Day of Awareness
of Food Loss and Waste
MIAMI, Sept. 24,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the United Nations'
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), an estimated 40% of the
global food supply is lost or wasted. In support of global efforts
to tackle this important issue, Carnival Corporation
& plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK), the world's largest
cruise company, remains committed to shrinking its "food print" –
an important element in the company's long-standing commitment to
sustainable operations from ship to shore. As the International Day
of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste (Sept. 29) approaches, Carnival Corporation and
its Italian cruise line, Costa Cruises, are sharing inspiring
achievements and progress on food waste reduction goals that help
support a more resilient food future.
Fighting Food Loss & Waste Across the Corporation
Carnival Corporation has made significant progress in minimizing
unused food across every aspect of food preparation, dining
services and uneaten food disposal onboard its global fleet.
Earlier this year, the company surpassed its 2025 food waste
reduction goal, leveraging human ingenuity and new technologies to
cut 42% of food loss and waste compared to five years ago (2019)
and is tracking toward its 50% reduction target set for 2030.
Jan Swartz, executive vice
president of strategic operations for Carnival Corporation, shared
updates about the company's food waste reduction progress at the
annual Champions 12.3 event held earlier today during Climate Week
NYC. The event, which brought together influential leaders and
innovators who are driving change in the global food system,
covered recent findings on the scale of food loss and waste,
addressed the need for greater urgency, and shared learnings to
find solutions to avoid the consequences of inaction.
Swartz joined the international coalition late last year,
which is comprised of roughly 40 leaders across government,
business and civil society dedicated to accelerating progress
toward achieving Target 12.3 of the UN's Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs) on food loss and waste. Swartz is the organization's
first Champion from the cruise industry.
Costa Cruises Expands "4GOODFOOD" Food Waste Reduction
Project
As part of the company's efforts to ensure food does
not go to waste, its Costa Cruises line recently expanded its
4GOODFOOD program to donate prepared, unserved food to local
community food banks.
Originally created in 2017 in what was a first for global
shipping, Costa Cruises, together with the food bank charity
Fondazione Banco Alimentare, introduced the surplus food donation
program, which involves the retrieval of "ready to eat" meals
prepared on board but not served in the ships' dining
establishments.
Most recently, Costa Cruises announced an agreement with
Palma de Mallorca and Valencia to become the 15th and
16th ports to benefit from the program. To date, more
than 300,000 portions of food have been donated throughout the
Mediterranean and the Caribbean
since the program's inception.
"One of the many ways we create unforgettable happiness for our
guests is through world-class food and dining experiences on
our ships," said Swartz. "We are committed to doing this
responsibly, and we rely on the dedication and creativity of our
160,000 talented team members who constantly find new ways to
reduce food waste from our operations, often while enhancing the
guest experience."
Swartz added: "Our goal is to have less uneaten food and, with
the remaining food, find ways to ensure it doesn't go to waste,
like doing our part to help communities facing food scarcity."
In addition to meal donations, phases of the 4GOODFOOD program
have included revising more than 500 recipes to make meal
production more efficient; using Winnow kitchen scales that analyze
waste and losses to adjust food production and reduce the amount of
food thrown away during the meal preparation process; training and
engagement for galley staff; and implementing the "Too Good to
Waste" campaign to raise awareness on the topic for guests and crew
onboard.
Carnival Corporation is seeking to expand the meal donation
program to other communities and is working with officials in the
Caribbean and Latin America to determine its
feasibility.
Additional details on the 4GOODFOOD program are available here.
For more information on Carnival Corporation's food waste reduction
initiatives and long-term sustainability vision, visit the
company's dedicated report website,
www.CarnivalSustainability.com.
This release may include claims related to our
greenhouse gas emissions reductions, goals, initiatives,
accomplishments, and progress reports. Supporting data for such
greenhouse gas emissions claims, including data verification
information, is published in our Sustainability Reports on
carnivalcorp.com/sustainability on an annual basis.
About Carnival Corporation & plc
Carnival Corporation & plc is the largest global cruise
company, and among the largest leisure travel companies, with a
portfolio of world-class cruise lines – AIDA Cruises, Carnival
Cruise Line, Costa Cruises, Cunard, Holland America Line, P&O
Cruises (Australia), P&O
Cruises (UK), Princess Cruises, and Seabourn.
Additional information can be found on www.carnivalcorp.com,
www.aida.de, www.carnival.com, www.costacruise.com, www.cunard.com,
www.hollandamerica.com, www.pocruises.com.au, www.pocruises.com,
www.princess.com, and www.seabourn.com.
For information on Carnival Corporation's industry-leading
sustainability initiatives, visit
www.carnivalsustainability.com.
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SOURCE Carnival Corporation & plc