Food no one eats

Each year, millions of tonnes of food in Europe are thrown away. As consumers, we are responsible for a large part of this waste.

According to the website of the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment, "around one third of all edible parts of food is lost or wasted between the field and our plates." Similar ministries and agencies in many European countries have issued similar statements.

It all adds up to an unimaginable amount: around 87.6 million tonnes of food are lost or wasted across the EU every year. That’s an average of about 173 kilos of food per person!

The loss and waste only exacerbate global food insecurity. Inefficiencies along the food supply chain and in consumption patterns have a negative impact on the environment. The EU Member States have therefore recently committed to halving per capita retail and consumer waste by 2030.

If we are to reach this goal, we will all need to make an effort. At gebana, we firmly believe that this will be easier for us if we are aware of when foods are in season, when they are naturally abundant and when they are not. Bulk packages may seem counter-intuitive at first, since they seem to create more excess. But in reality, they encourage us to change our consumption patterns and develop new (old!) habits. Our way of consuming: Eat seasonal fruit until you’ve had your fill. Share it with your family, friends and neighbours or preserve it for later.

Sources

Lebensmittelverluste der Schweiz vom Acker bis auf den Teller https://www.bafu.admin.ch/bafu/de/home/themen/abfall/abfallwegweiser-a-z/biogene-abfaelle/abfallarten/lebensmittelabfaelle.html (accessed on 20 June 2022)

Weniger Verluste und Verschwendung von Lebensmitteln https://www.consilium.europa.eu/de/policies/food-losses-waste/ (accessed on 20 June 2022)

Infografik – Lebensmittelverlust und -verschwendung: Vermeidung, Wiederverwendung und Recycling https://www.consilium.europa.eu/de/infographics/food-loss-and-food-waste/ (accessed on 20 June 2022)

Gaspillage alimentaire https://www.ecologie.gouv.fr/gaspillage-alimentaire-0 (accessed on 20 June 2022)