Food waste in EU – Veta Sapiens

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Food waste in EU

photo of bad apples showcasing food waste
Wasted food has far-reaching effects, both nationally and globally. In the U.S., up to 40% of all food produced goes uneaten, and about 95% of discarded food ends up in landfills.

Benefits of Less Food Waste

Wasted food has far-reaching effects, both nationally and globally. In the U.S., up to 40% of all food produced goes uneaten, and about 95% of discarded food ends up in landfills. It is the largest component of municipal solid waste at 21%. In 2014, more than 38 million tons of food waste was generated, with only 5% diverted from landfills and incinerators for composting. Decomposing food waste produces methane, a strong greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming.

Worldwide, one-third of food produced is thrown away uneaten, causing an increased burden on the environment. It is estimated that reducing food waste by 15% could feed more than 25 million Americans every year.

 

  • Cost savings on labor through more efficient handling, preparation, and storage of food that will be used.
  • Cost savings when purchasing only as much food as needed, and avoiding additional costs of disposal.
  • Reduced methane emissions from landfills and a lower carbon footprint.
  • Better management of energy and resources, preventing pollution involved in the growing, manufacturing, transporting, and selling of food.
  • Community benefits by providing donated, untouched, and safe food that would otherwise be thrown out. 
(Source: HARVARD)

Food waste managment

Cradle-to-grave greenhouse gas emissions within the global food systems are responsible for nearly half of all emissions. Alarmingly, a significant portion of these emissions is linked to avoidable food waste. Customer negligence and unequal technological development exacerbate this issue.

While one billion people struggle to secure their next meal, one-third to half of the food from global dining tables ends up in landfills daily. This wastage, often caused by disconnects in post-farming stages and delayed logistics, results in the loss of up to one-third or even half of food commodities throughout the food supply chain. In the face of this tremendous waste, it becomes imperative to minimize its negative impacts during the food waste management stage. Regrettably, food waste management strategies face numerous challenges.

Existing food waste management has led to significant problems, including uncontrolled methane gas emissions, environmental pollution, and the proliferation of pests. These adverse consequences have prompted the development of improved food waste management strategies, particularly in recent years.

These strategies include education and awareness campaigns promoting food conservation and the transition from food waste land disposal to advanced technologies such as composting and anaerobic digestion.

Excitingly, some recent experiments show promise in converting food waste into useful chemicals. However, evaluating these efforts from a broader perspective, such as their impact on farmers’ incomes or the profits of major food exporters, remains a subject of debate. Moreover, factors like dietary preferences, income disparities, equity, and nutritional value are often overlooked, adding complexity and uncertainty to the food waste management landscape.

 

This Collection aims to address the following research topics, which are crucial in shaping effective food waste management strategies:

Tailored Food Waste Management

Strategies: Explore strategies tailored to specific regions, food sectors, or food commodities. This includes policy-driven approaches, quantifying consequences, technical enhancements in the food supply chain, diverse downstream food waste treatments, and comparative assessments of treatment technologies based on life cycle analysis and cost-benefit analysis.
Climate Change Impact: Assess the climate change impact of various food waste management strategies. This involves quantifying greenhouse gas emissions resulting from food waste across different sectors, stages, and regions of the food systems.
Influences on Food Waste Production: Examine factors that influence food waste production and management, whether from a bottom-up or top-down perspective. This may encompass adjusted farming structures, shifts in food supply chains, government subsidies, advertising, and more.


Resilience of Food Waste Management

Strategies: Analyze the robustness and stability of food waste management strategies in the face of environmental shocks, socioeconomic dynamics, aging populations, and other critical variables.
Data Science and Machine Learning: Investigate the role of Data Science and Machine Learning in enhancing food waste management, both locally and globally.

Explore applications of these technologies to optimize food waste reduction efforts.
Consumer Behaviour: Study consumer behaviour and its influence on food waste management. Conduct case studies using questionnaires to assess customer behaviours across various attributes such as gender, age, income, culture, and location.

 

By delving into these research areas, we aim to provide valuable insights and strategies for more effective and sustainable food waste management.

Remarks from Veta:

The huge extent of the challenges in how we treat our food is the main reason why we started focusing on food waste as our first initiative. No one can question the need for a change in this field. Do you have any ideas of a product or service you think an amazing job fighting this cause? Don’t hesitate to contact us.

The sources for this articles:

Mathias Andrén

Brand manager and art director at Cebon

I feel young in my mind but im close to 45. Work as an creative at Cebon and love to see things from many perspectives. I play guitar and doing submission wrestling when im not spending time with family and friends. I am one of the founders of Veta and feel really passionate about the Veta purpose.

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