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 How can we reduce food waste?

8/18/2015

9 Comments

 
PictureSoup - MorgueFile
 Some figures show that every household wastes a shocking amount of fresh food. And supermarkets throw away out-of-date food too. 

At the local twice-weekly market, my husband snaps up soft fruit and wilting vegetables, which are sold cheaply at the end of the day. Although the food must be eaten that night, it helps our budget and prevents waste.


Back in 1917 England during World War One, government ministers had agonised over the best way of combating hunger while Germany's U-boats disrupted Britain's food supply.

Public canteens were set up to feed people. They proved hugely popular amongst the poor people during times of austerity. These self-service restaurants, run by local workers and partly funded by government grants, offered simple meals at subsidised prices.

Keen to avoid the stigma of poverty associated with soup kitchen hand-outs, they formed a network of public cafeteria known as "national kitchens".

Now, considering the shocking waste of fresh food in outlets, and with so many desperate people who can't make ends meet, efforts are being made to bring them back. A senior lecturer at UKs Liverpool Hope University has researched the WW1 kitchens and believes there are parallels with today's food banks.

His investigation, funded by the Wellcome Trust, shows how community kitchens were run by charities and trade unionists. The Trussell Trust network has grown to 445 food banks. Around 500,000 different people have received help over a 12-month period.

According to the charity, the most common reason for people's food needs came from benefit payment delays and sanctions. But more than a fifth of food bank users were referred because of low incomes, including people in low-paid, zero-hours or part-time work. The charity only has the storage facilities to hand out non-perishable items like pasta, cereal and cans, though a small number do offer fresh fruit and vegetables.

The Trust would like to see supermarkets get involved by donating fresh produce too. Source: BBC. 

PictureVegetables - MorgueFile
 Recently, a French law that bans supermarkets from destroying unsold food and obliges them to give it to charity is irritating retailers who say they already make a big effort to fight waste.

A local councillor in a Paris suburb began his campaign by collecting the unsold food and handing it out to the needy.

While broadly welcoming the law, charities are wary about ending up with more food than they can handle.

The president of the French Federation of Food Banks (FFBA) says there is a risk charities will not be able to cope with unneeded donations which would make them rubbish dumps. Food banks would need more staff, more lorries, more refrigerated rooms, which requires more money. Source: BBC. 

Surely, money spent on serving fresh food, which would otherwise be wasted, would be the perfect solution. The human population explosion is already straining Earth's plump apple skin to bursting point. There is enough food for all as the situation stands at the moment. Why let people starve when resources can be used? The solution boils down to funds—to money. I'd rather governments used the wealth they collect from us to feed the world instead of financing war.

In the late 1960's in Australia where I lived at the time, I volunteered to serve food with the Meals-on-wheels organization. My local branch accepted me along with my four-year-old daughter into their fold. We'd walk along the quiet street to the kitchen and watch the cook ladling food into huge canisters. Along with our driver, I'd carry some to the boot of the car, and then we'd be off, visiting seniors in their homes. Some of them looked forward to seeing my sweet, quiet child, others ignored her, but all were grateful for the food served straight onto their plate which they'd left in readiness on the table.

Do you have a solution to prevent food waste?

9 Comments
Lata link
8/17/2015 11:36:31 pm

Thought provoking post

Reply
Sophie Bowns link
8/17/2015 11:52:13 pm

I agree, there's so much waste.
I think in our family we just buy a set amount each week- i.e go by a rough budget,

Reply
Laurel Regan link
8/18/2015 12:32:18 am

Food waste bothers me a great deal, both in my own home and on a larger scale. I'm not sure what the solution might be, though. I know we sometimes buy lots of vegetables with great intentions to eat lots of healthy meals, but many of them end up going to waste. We need to improve our own situation, that's for sure.

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Nick #thisyearinmusic link
8/18/2015 01:55:04 am

It's been claimed say that the average household in the UK throws out about £500 a year (rounding up).

The only food we throw out is that last carrot/onion/beetroot/etc that's gone soft in the bottom of the fridge and the last spoonful when you've over cooked. I doubt that these items equal £500.

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Bethany L. link
8/18/2015 04:40:13 am

Wasted food has always bothered me quite a bit. I know America throws away LOTS of good food. Just recently in Portland, Oregon, they put into place a law which makes it illegal (punishable by prison time and heavy fines) to throw away any food. Everything has to be eaten or composted. I think more states (and countries) should put these types of law into practice.

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Alana link
8/18/2015 08:06:38 am

I saw a John Oliver "comedy" show on HBO back in July where he focused on food waste (he covers a lot of serious topics) and showed landfills full of veggies so fresh you could still eat it. It is heartbreaking that we have so many families here who are "food insecure" (a modern term for "hungry") and yet so much food gets thrown away. Hurray for Portland, Oregon!!!

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Anamika Agnihotri link
8/18/2015 02:05:14 pm

When I was growing up, my mother always insisted on filling smaller portions of food on our plates and then asking for a refill if required. This was her way of ensuring we do not waste food by taking higher proportions and then throwing it not being able to finish it.
Now that I get vegetables and fruits from the super markets for the whole week in one go, I try to cut all the vegetables the day I buy them. This way it is easier cooking them without the laziness creeping up thinking about the chore of cutting/chopping them later.

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sacha link
8/18/2015 11:08:50 pm

This gives me a lot to think about. Thank you for sharing

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Michelle Liew link
8/18/2015 11:58:20 pm

Perhaps supermarkets can put up a time chart indicating the times when they sell perishable products. They can tell shoppers to come at such times if they want these products. That way, they can avoid importing or buying too much.

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    Francene Stanley
    From England, I use news items in my novels which you can see below, all linked to an Amazon near you.

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