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From November 16th to 24th, Catalonia joins the fight against Food Waste as part of the European Week for Waste Reduction.

08/11/2024

European Week for Waste Reduction (EWWR) stems from a project supported by the European Commission’s LIFE+ program. Its objective is to organize, during a single week across Europe, awareness-raising actions on waste prevention, promoting waste reduction strategies and the policies of the European Union and its Member States in this area. The goal is to foster sustainable actions to reduce waste across Europe, publicize the tasks carried out by various actors through concrete examples of waste reduction, and change the daily behavior of Europeans (consumption, production).

In the 16th edition of the EWWR, this year, the focus is on Food Waste, a complex problem that affects the entire food chain, from production to consumption. In fact, every year, more than 58 million tonnes of food waste are generated in the European Union, equivalent to 132 kilograms per capita. This problem, besides being a waste of economic resources, has a very significant environmental impact, as it is associated with high water consumption, energy consumption, and greenhouse gas emissions.

Globally, the situation is even more alarming: one-third of all food produced for human consumption is wasted. This figure is particularly worrying considering that millions of people worldwide go hungry. Therefore, the organizers of the EWWR aim to carry out a series of actions to raise public awareness and promote more sustainable consumption habits.

In Catalonia, through the Waste Agency (ARC), more than 1,000 independent actions organized by companies, organizations, and public administrations will give visibility to this problem. Furthermore, in relation to the Food Loss problem highlighted by the Folou Project, the ARC is additionaly working on a common action organized throughout the Catalan territory: the Enrenou d’Aliments culinary contest. This initiative, which will be held in 8 Catalan towns and in Barcelona, will enhance the utilisation of “rescued” ingredients from rural gleaning, in order to avoid that the remains end up in the crop. This contest will feature the participation of 8 renowned chefs who will act as a jury and offer masterclasses to students from 12 different hospitality schools, with the aim of raising awareness among future chefs on the subject.

How can we contribute to reducing FW & FL?

Reducing food waste and food loss is everyone’s responsibility. At home, we can plan our menus, buy only what we need, store food correctly, and learn to cook with leftovers. At a collective level, it is important to demand that supermarkets and restaurants reduce waste and promote the donation of food to social entities.

In this way, European Week for Waste Reduction is an opportunity to reflect on our consumption habits and adopt measures to reduce food waste. By joining forces, we can contribute to a world with less hunger and less waste.

Some of the actions we can take as individuals in our homes are:

• Plan your meals: Create a weekly meal plan to avoid impulse purchases and reduce food waste.
• Store food properly: Use airtight containers and store food in the correct temperature zones to extend its shelf life.
• Buy local and seasonal: Support local farmers and choose seasonal produce to reduce food miles and waste.
• Don’t overbuy: Buy only what you need to avoid excess food.
• Buy imperfect produts: Choose fruits and vegetables with minor blemishes to reduce Food Loss & Food Waste.
• Participate in community gardens: Grow your own food and reduce reliance on store-bought produce.
• Support local initiatives: Get involved in local campaigns and events promoting sustainable food practices.

Together we can build a more sustainable future and reduce food waste.

For more information:

European Week for Waste Reduction