Food produced but not used for human consumption is a waste of natural resources. In order to prevent and reduce food waste, the main causes have to be identified systematically along the food supply chain (FSC). The aim of this study is (1) to shed light on the causes and effects of food waste through the analysis of 44 qualitative expert interviews examining the processes and intermediaries along the German food chain and (2) to find methods to reduce it. Results indicate that food waste occurs at all stages in the food chain. Thus, there is no single culprit to be blamed. Besides, the identified reasons for food waste differ between product groups; not a single solution can cause notable change. Furthermore, the analysis demonstrates that the causes and effects of food waste are to be found at different stages of the value chain. Hence, it is of high importance to improve communication and to raise a new appreciation for food among all stakeholders of the food supply chain in order to develop a more sustainable food system. Information on the topic of food waste needs to be shared among all actors of the supply chain. They need to share responsibility and work together to reduce food waste.

Zusammenfassung Nachhaltiger Konsum im privaten Haushalt gilt als wichtiger Hebel für eine nachhaltigere Entwicklung unserer Gesellschaft. Doch die Möglichkeiten der Einflussnahme sind dort begrenzt. Weitere Hebel, wie der Außer-Haus-Konsum (hier am Beispiel der Außer-Haus-Verpflegung), sollten deshalb nicht unterschätzt und weiter ausgebaut werden. Diese Hebelwirkung wird am Beispiel des Forschungsprojektes „NAHGAST – Entwicklung, Erprobung und Verbreitung von Konzepten zum nachhaltigen Produzieren und Konsumieren in der Außer-Haus-Gastronomie“ thematisiert. Schlüsselwörter: Nachhaltiger Konsum, Ernährung, soziale Praktiken, Außer-Haus-Verpflegung ----- Bibliographie: Speck, Melanie/Bienge, Katrin/Engelmann, Tobias/Langen, Nina/Teitscheid, Petra/El Mourabit, Xenia: Potenzial von Simulationen – Situationen der alltäglichen Lebensführung aufgreifen und gesellschaftliche Mitverantwortung diskutieren, HiBiFo - Haushalt in Bildung & Forschung, 3-2018, S. 89-99. https://doi.org/10.3224/hibifo.v7i3.07

Adequate communication of a firm’s responsible conduct to diverse stakeholders is essential for a company to reap the full benefits of its CSR activities. After the categorization of various communication tools companies can use to signal their CSR involvement, an analysis of the extent and types of CSR communication in the German chocolate sector via labels on products and via information provided on a firm’s websites is presented. The most significant result is that that communication of CSR in the German chocolate sector is very diverse: it differs highly between different retail store types as well as between different communication channels. For example, the CSR communication on websites is much more extensive than that found on product packages.