While 800 million people in the world go hungry in 2021, one out of every three foods in the European Union (EU) goes to waste. A recent report by the environmental NGO Feedback EU concludes: EU more food wasted of the important. The solution is to pass “ambitious laws” with “binding goals” to prevent food waste.
Food loss and waste on the planet is equivalent to 10 percent of greenhouse gas emissions that cost the world a trillion dollars a year.. a global challenge It creates a significant environmental, social and economic burden for all countries and regions, including the EU.
An illustrative fact: If food waste were a country, it would be the third largest emitter of greenhouse gases in the world., behind only the United States and China. According to the feedback EU, food production “man’s greatest impact on the environment”.
153.5 million tonnes of food is wasted every year in the EUand imports amounted to 138 million tons of agricultural products. Food waste is costing businesses and households in the EU 143,000 million euros and causes at least 6% of greenhouse gas emissions.
At a critical time for food systems due to the drought and inflation due to the invasion of Ukraine, A fifth of EU food production goes to waste.
an untenable situation
The situation is unsustainable, according to experts and NGOs: food waste exacerbates hunger on the planet a huge impact on climate change and reasons huge economic losses.
“Food, its production, distribution and disposal, deforestationWhile it accounts for a quarter of our global greenhouse gas bill, it is depleting our fresh water reserves and lands,” the NGO emphasizes.
The feedback is part of an international movement that includes the EU, the European Environment Office and the companies Zero Waste Europe, Too Good to Go and OLIO, and members of the EU Food Loss and Waste Platform.
This platform urged the EU to set legally binding targets for member states to drastically reduce food waste. They emphasize that In 2015, the target was to reduce food waste by 50% by 2030.. But no progress has been made since then.
Feedback EU report, In the EU, 89.8 million tonnes of food is wasted in primary production; this is three times more than households.. But he adds that most of the waste may fall out of the measurements, as food that is left unharvested and used on farms is excluded.
The conclusion of the report leaves no room for doubt. “Reducing food waste will enable the EU to meet its climate commitments, improve food security, save money for citizens, governments and businesses, and support climate justice and human rights.”
Authors urge community officials to pass legislation ambitious and binding food laws To reduce food waste by at least 50% by 2030, which applies to the entire supply chain “from farm to fork”. “There is no time to lose. It’s time for the EU to challenge,” they shout.
Spain: One out of every three foods is wasted
What’s going on in this episode Spain? More of the same, or even worse: More than 8 million tons of food are thrown away each year along the entire food chain.. In an other saying: One in three foods goes to waste.
promoters Campaign for #LeySinDesperdicio They advocate an “ambitious and brave” standard based on 10 points:
-
Focus on preventing loss and waste, not managing surpluses.
-
Measure losses and waste at all stages of the food chain.
-
Measure not only how much is wasted, but also how much is wasted.
-
Support and encourage mixing or aggregation to reduce waste and measure food losses in the primary sector.
-
Clearly define what is food loss and waste so as not to leave room for interpretation.
-
The measurement is mandatory for all actors along the chain.
-
It includes actions and measures that facilitate compliance with the law and punish those who try to evade the law.
-
That the administration has an important monitoring role in terms of compliance with the law.
-
Set deadlines for its development and tools for its implementation.
-
Include an area of governance where all actors can participate in the implementation and monitoring of the law and that serves to accompany all agents for the proper implementation of the law.
Reference report: https://feedbackglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Feedback-EU-2022-No-Time-To-Waste-report.pdf
Signature collection for #LeySinDesperdicio: https://mailchi.mp/enraizaderechos/leysindesperdicio
…….
Contact address of the environment department: crizclimatica@prensaiberica.es
Source: Informacion
James Sean is a writer for “Social Bites”. He covers a wide range of topics, bringing the latest news and developments to his readers. With a keen sense of what’s important and a passion for writing, James delivers unique and insightful articles that keep his readers informed and engaged.