Wait, don’t throw that out - I’m taking it for lunch tomorrow!
I try hard not to throw food away. Not having a large US-size refrigerator makes it easier, as there is less chance of losing track of food in our modestly scaled Swiss fridge. But I still throw away more food than I feel good about. Bread is especially hard to keep track of (no, I can’t freeze it - my freezer is just as small).
Planning complimentary meals during the week, with leftovers ending up as sides the next day, and taking lunch to work has helped us control what goes into the garbage or the compost bin. But food waste in the home is only a part of the problem.
American households typically throw away 25% of the food they buy. Europeans, tossing 20%, are not far behind. When food processing and distribution are added to the totals, food waste for both continents comprises one half of all food produced. Of course there are still many places around the globe where “zero-waste” has and will never be an issue, but that makes it all the more important for us to end our squandering. If global waste was cut by even 25%, there would be food to feed 800 million of the world’s hungriest, most of the 11% of the total population who go to bed hungry.[1]
Fortunately, the issue of food waste has been getting attention, which has shed light on a number of misguided practices. Food is thrown away for various reasons on its path from farm to table. Our predilection for photogenic food means that whatever doesn’t make the cut, never makes it to our tables, despite it being perfectly edible. But there are also systemic issues contributing to the 50% waste level. Losses due to production errors or overproduction, transport and logistics problems, and spoilage are the biggest culprits. Mountains of food are prepared and never eaten in restaurants and institutions. A friend who works in the food service industry told me that banquets and similar events are a big source of food waste. Food needs to be prepared in advance, without knowing what will actually be eaten; weather and poor planning can lead to lots of leftovers.
Active awareness has led to positive developments and creative solutions to these problems. We, as consumers, of course can start at home. Buying regional seasonal produce increases home shelf life and supports local farmers. I make a point of buying the second-class fruit and vegetables at the Friday morning market around the corner. Our grandparents undoubtedly knew how to limit waste, but we need guidance. There are now cookbooks available that offer creative shopping tips and recipes for leftovers. I’ve started making herbed breadsticks with all my stale bread, turning it into something special with a little olive oil, thyme, salt and pepper.
But broader solutions are needed, and are being implemented. I know a few ‘food rescuers’ who raid supermarket dumpsters in the evenings to gather food, which they cook and serve to those in need. At the industry level, there is a biogas production unit here in Bern that takes food production ‘mistakes’ and, with the help of carefully monitored microbes, turns them into fuel for the local buses. The director told our tour group that two truckloads of faulty chocolate were tricky to breakdown, but undrinkable beer is a dream.
Rethinking our demand for visually perfect produce has led quite a few restaurants in the US and Europe to advertise their use of ugly vegetables and fruit. A solution for the backend of food waste has been found in Denmark. The ‘TooGoodToGo’ app, which offers take-out meals from restaurants right before closing time, is currently expanding to cities across Europe.
In contrast to a new French law requiring supermarkets to either donate unsold food to charity or recycle it into animal feed, compost or energy, there are quite a few volunteer food rescue organizations working quietly and successfully in many countries. Some of these efforts have been around for years, even decades, but social media and the internet have made the sourcing of food donations and the scheduling of volunteers more effective. Robin Hood Army volunteers have been collecting leftover food from restaurants and weddings to distribute to shelters, public hospitals and orphanages since 2014. The project started in Delhi but now comprises over 6000 ‘Robins’ in 30 cities throughout India and Pakistan, with each chapter responsible for understanding the special needs in their particular community.
If you are in New York or in one of the other 11 US cities where Rescuing Leftover Cuisine is present, you can volunteer less than an hour a week to make an evening food pickup from restaurants and delis that report food surpluses. RLC volunteers trained in safe food handling collect and then deliver the food to local shelters. Dublin-based Food Cloud offers an online platform for photos of available food, with alerts going to charities and shelters. Volunteer drivers are used to make deliveries. [2]
All the strategies presented here can help us change how we think about food. But I realized there is a further important reason why our attitude to food waste is changing, which is our goal of sufficience, Having a larger freezer isn’t going to help me enjoy my bread more. Having a better understanding of where the bread I buy comes from, how it is made, who made it and how I bought it does help me enjoy it more, and makes it harder for me to throw away. This is a good thing.
[1] Global Food Losses and Food Waste, for FAO by SIK, Gothenburg Sweden, 2011
[2] These organizations, and more, are listed in "7 groups fighting food waste around the world", Katherine Martinko, on Treehugger.com July 19 2016
PS - A reader has kindly sent me a link to a New York Times article on food waste, "Keeping Food on the Plate and Out of Landfills." The discussion continues!
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