FAST Lab Insider: Why interdisciplinary action matters against food waste, and how YOU can help!

Did you know that approximately 88.7 million tons of food are wasted in the U.S. every year? Equating to about 38% of the country’s total food supply, that’s enough to feed 870 million people. At the same time, roughly 47.4 million U.S citizens suffer from food insecurity annually. This shocking disparity leaves many to wonder:

“How can so much food waste coexist with so much hunger?”

Well, put simply, the answer is logistics! Believe it or not, a significant amount of food is wasted before it even reaches a plate. This is due to numerous supply chain inefficiencies; poor forecasting, lack of operational efficiency, and administrative decisions are just a few of the many logistical errors that cause food waste. Challenges like this require more than just effort from the individual at hand, but a coordinated change across the supply chain management industry. A change that webs together academic research and industrial knowledge.

This is where FAST Lab, a research initiative at the MSU Broad College of Business, steps in. Here, our mission is to advance sustainable and equitable food systems through data-driven research, industry collaboration, as well as student engagement, and we believe multi-disciplinary action is the key. The FAST Lab offers a fresh perspective. Unlike initiatives that focus solely on market-based decisions, depending solely on either academic or industrial knowledge, we combine the two and develop a perspective that brings together real-world knowledge and research in supply chain infrastructural gaps and barriers. By integrating state-of-the-art artificial intelligence and data analytics into supply chains, we offer unique logistical solutions to a very niche but huge problem in the food service and retail industry that impacts millions of people across the globe: hunger and food waste.

“At the FAST Lab, we believe that data and logistics can be powerful tools for social good. By combining academic rigor with industry partnerships, we design supply chains that not only move food efficiently, but also move communities toward greater access, equity, and resilience. Our mission extends beyond research—we also develop educational materials that equip students with the knowledge and tools to drive real-world change, ensuring that good food never goes to waste and reaches the people who need it most.” -Stanley Lim, associate professor in the Department of Supply Chain Management and co-director of FAST Lab.

It isn’t just food production systems and associated supply chains, but customer-facing enterprises such as the hospitality industry also face a unique set of challenges. With unpredictable factors like consumer demand, commodity markets, and local climate leading to overproduction, hotels, restaurants, airlines and more, also generate food waste, resulting in “leaving money on the table.”  The FAST Lab will aid this sector as well.  By integrating various perspectives, AI-models, and data analytics, we have created partnerships and models that will help transform waste and manage bottom-line impacts.

“We want research findings from the FAST Lab to translate into actionable insights for the commercial food industry.  We aim to develop logistics, inventory management, and production models that will glean insights from the latest supply chain management research and hospitality operations management.  By bringing together research expertise and practical managerial perspectives, we will develop practical solutions for the industry.” -Karthik Namasivayam, director of the School of Hospitality Business and co-director of FAST Lab.

By choosing to address these unique but impactful causes of food waste through logistics, FAST Lab is pushing towards a future where food waste is minimal. Our mission is to advance sustainable, data-driven, and resilient business practices through student engagement and industry collaboration — transforming insights into impact for stronger supply chains, efficient operations, and healthier communities.

But how exactly can YOU help aid the fight against food waste? Beyond everyday actions like shopping mindfully or finishing what’s on your plate, you can also support efforts that bridge community and commerce. FAST Lab partners not only with nonprofits but also with leaders in commercial hospitality, restaurants, hotels, and food service providers, who are rethinking how meals are sourced, prepared, and recovered. By volunteering with these partners or simply supporting businesses that commit to reducing waste, you help strengthen a culture of operational and social responsibility, and ensure that good food nourishes people rather than landfills.

To learn more about how FAST Lab and our partners in academia, industry, and hospitality are transforming food logistics for good, visit broad.msu.edu/fast-lab.