The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has agreed to help Autogrill in reducing food waste and losses.
The three-year deal will see FAO provide Autogrill with tools to track and cut food losses and waste throughout its network of more than 4,000 stores.
It will enable Autogrill to design data materials and campaigns to raise awareness among its global customers on waste reduction.
Autogrill will also get support to introduce products of small-scale farmers in developing countries.
FAO director of the rural infrastructure and agro-industries division Eugenia Serova said: "This is a new type of public-private partnership for FAO which could become a model for collaborations with other retailers in future."
Autogrill Group European public affairs manager Luigi Troiani said: "Our social responsibility awareness will certainly be improved by the relationship we are beginning today.
FAO said it is projected that about one third of the food produced worldwide for human consumption , around 1.3 billion tons per year, is lost or wasted.
Italy-based Autogrill has joined the FAO's Save Food global initiative on food loss and waste reduction.
Autogrill has more than 4,300 points of sale managed in 30 different countries. The global Autogrill restaurant offers food & beverage services to 900 million travelers on four continents each year.
