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by Doodoo » February 22, 2019, 12:22 pm
As for the EU wasting food here is info on countries in the EU that are doing something about it
Denmark: Denmark is a pioneer in joining the fight against food waste. In 2016, the Danish minister for food, Esben Lunde Larsen, launched a subsidy scheme to combat the issue. This scheme distributed almost USD 750,000 to projects trying to tackle waste throughout the food chain.
This was a significant commitment, but the initiative wasn't the first drive to reduce food waste. The ministry had already conducted campaigns to educate consumers about best-before and use-by labels. In Denmark, it is legal to sell date-expired food so long as it is clearly labelled and shows no sign of health risk. Mr Larsen has also supported collaboration between food producers and kitchens to ensure that “wonky vegetables”, which would otherwise be rejected, are used.
France: Food waste is a costly issue in France. Each year 10 million tons of food are either lost or wasted in the country, costing the French 16 billion euros per year. The negative impact on the environment is also shocking. Food waste in France is responsible for the emission of 15.3 million tons of CO2, 3% of the country’s total CO2 emissions.
Although these figures are concerning, the French government is determined to drive change. In the past five years it has created new laws and regulations to encourage food waste reduction. In 2012, it launched a new law forcing the private sector to recycle their organic waste if they produce more than 120 tons of it per year. This regulation has since been developed further. Recycling is now mandatory for all businesses, including those in the hospitality and foodservice industry, that produce at least ten tonnes of organic waste per year.
In 2016, France became the first country to ban supermarkets from throwing away unsold food. Large supermarkets are no longer even allowed to throw away good quality food approaching its “best-before” date. Instead, they are forced to donate surplus food to charities and food banks.
Italy: It is estimated that Italy wastes about 5.1m tonnes of food a year. Six months after the French law banning supermarkets from throwing away edible food was passed, the country launched a similar regulation. Unlike the French law, which penalises supermarkets that fail to comply with the rules, the Italian law focused on making it easier for companies to donate unsold food. The initiative should help Italy recover one million tonnes of food a year.
The law has essentially relaxed regulations that had made it difficult to donate. It has clarified, for example, that food can be donated even if it is past its sell-by date. Costa Cruises – the Italian cruise line that is part of Carnival Corporation & plc, the world’s largest cruise company - has taken advantage of this law. The cruise line is now working with Winnow to prevent food waste while donating excess meals to those in need.
Costa has cemented its role as a leading company in the sustainability field. It became the first cruise line to make a public food waste reduction target, committing to halving food waste by 2020 as part of its “4GOODFOOD” program.
