general increase in prices and next consumption declineresort more processed meals eating more meals away from home (which saves time in the kitchen) and some better planned purchases are some of the contributing factors. reduce food waste to minimum levels in Spanish homes. we pull less fresh food Garbage is being thrown away even though there are families who are not yet aware of the environmental, economic and social problems caused by food waste. Thus, according to the data collected by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food since 2017, more than 50 years They were the population group that increased their waste the most last year, especially living with older children.
The peak of food waste was reached in 2020. quarantine imposed by covidSpanish houses became vacant 1.364 million kilos from food and beverages. Return to presence in the workplace since, Factors added to trends such as buying more and more processed items prepared outside the home or consuming a single meal have led to a decline in food consumption. 1.170 million kilos in 2022last full year for which data is available.
“It is true that food waste has decreased, among other reasons, because globally, consumption also decreased“Pietro Tonini, a researcher at the Institute of Environmental Science and Technology of the Autonomous University of Barcelona (ICTA-UAB), observes: “There is a significant portion of fresh food, about 80% of each product, alone is no longer edible like skin or bones“. Tonini continues: The Ministry’s data do not take this part into account. “As the presence of processed food in homes has increased recently, it makes sense that these homes produce less organic waste because there is no longer a need to separate the inedible parts,” adds the ICTA researcher.
The ministry’s research also explains part of the recovery. greater citizen awareness Yet put value which has had everything to do with gastronomy in recent years. This is seen, first of all, as a percentage. fresh produce These wastes are no longer thrown away, representing 78.6% of total waste, compared to the 87.5% they represented in 2017. “These are positive data, of course, but they should not be generalized because compared to conscious families, there is still a significant group of households that are not, what would be interesting would be to know where these people live, how many people are in the house or what happens to them.” product formats “It is available in supermarkets,” warns Raquel Díaz, director of Fundació Espigoladors and food waste researcher.
Despite everything and the general downward trend, there were still 125,942 households that produced more waste than in 2021. On average, these homes went to waste. 5.43 kilos of food per person per yearcompared to 5.33 the previous year.
in 2022 29.2% of 17.9 million homes They made sure it was available in Spain They no longer waste food. This could also help by: Incorporation of technologyWhen it comes to both cooking and shopping, it’s a reality that’s gotten stronger in recent years and, by all indications, will continue to get stronger in the years to come. “To exist Freezers that notify when a product arrives “It’s in bad shape and refrigerators are being added to the shopping list,” Jordi Salvador, project director at consultancy PriceWaterhous Coopers (PWC), said in a recent study on food trends in Catalonia.
And despite the existence of such a being smart home appliances While it’s still small (only 3.9% of global households had these devices at the end of 2019), “future forecasts suggest there will be 75 billion devices worldwide by 2025,” PWC’s report adds.
Another key is calculate portions betterthat is, knowing how much to buy and how much to eat to avoid leftovers on the plate. “This is a cultural issue that is increasingly adapting both at home and in restaurants,” Minister of Agriculture and Food Luis Planas said in the presentation after the Council of Ministers. anti-waste bill food.
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.