The problem of food waste is gaining increasing attention around the world. Shocking numbers and figures continue to reveal the amount of good food that ends up in the bin each year. These figures are published at a time of growing hunger levels; both in Europe and further afield. Civil society groups have been campaigning hard to raise awareness of the issue, as well as launching initiatives and projects in cities and rural areas alike which seek to directly address the problem. It now seems the EU wants to hear more.
Later this year, the EU Commission plans to release a Communication on Sustainable Food. And they want to know what people across Europe think! In an announcement made yesterday; consumers, producers, NGOs and food activists were officially invited to participate in a consultation process that will contribute to this Communication.
Speaking about the estimated 89 million tons of food wasted in Europe every year, Environment Commissioner Janez Potočnik said: “This is morally and economically unacceptable and is all the more horrific when you consider the true scale of the resources required to produce those 89 million tons! We are also wasting all those resources. There’s something wrong with the system.”
The Commission is particularly interested in ideas on immediate action to reduce food waste and ensure efficient use of resources in our food system. According to yesterday’s press release, they want to know:
• what the priorities for action should be
• how to measure the impacts of food production
• the best ways of promoting more sustainable production and supply chains
• the best ways of promoting more sustainable food consumption
• how to prevent and reduce food waste
• which policies would be best suited to address these challenges.
The consultation is open until 1st October 2013.
For more information see:
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/consultations/food_en.htm
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/eussd/food.htm
See also:
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/resource_efficiency/about/roadmap/index_en.htm
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