Paradox of Food Waste – Strategies for Policy Makers

1. Paradox of Food Waste – Strategies for Policy Makers

2. Overview • Food waste is an issue that affects all aspects of society– producers, growers, retail, hospitality, consumers and those who experience food poverty. • This module seeks to upskill policy makers in different strategies that can be adopted on a local, regional and national basis to tackle food waste and food poverty. • The module spans the challenge of food waste, the key sources and collects best practice as the basis to informed policy and change measures.

3. Today – SOME KEY STATS: • Around one billion people will eat too much • Around one billion people will go to bed hungry • Over 20,000 people will die from hunger • An estimated one third of all food produced in the world ends up as waste. • Source: • http://www.stopfoodwaste.ie/food-we-waste/irelands-food-waste-forum/

4. Today – SOME KEY STATS:  All the world’s nearly one billion hungry people could be lifted out of malnourishment on less than a quarter of the food that is wasted in the United States, United Kingdom and Europe. Tristram Stuart 2009, Waste: Uncovering the Global Food Scandal

5. Food Waste, a UK perspective 15 million tonnes of food is discarded every year in the UK alone. Worryingly, almost 4 million tonnes is thrown away despite still being edible. In addition to the actual waste of food, the costs of the energy to produce, transport, store and dispose the food are also wasted.

6. Food Waste, an Irish perspective There are about 750,000 tonnes of organic waste generated each year by businesses in Ireland. Of this, over 300,000 comes from commercial businesses (e.g. food retail, hotels, food wholesale, hospitals, restaurants, etc.) and over 400,000 tonnes is generated by the industrial food producing sector. It has been estimated that each tonne of food waste can cost between €2,000 – €5,000 – sometimes less, often times more. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGTPKKOVoz4

7. WHY REDUCE FOOD WASTE? Reducing food waste is good for the economy, good for food security and good for the climate. • The costs of decreasing food waste are relatively low, but the potential benefits are substantial. • Less food waste leads to more efficiency, more economic productivity and reductions in emissions of greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change.

8. TYPES OF FOOD WASTE As well as the food wasted at home, there are large amounts of edible food that do not even reach consumers but still end up in the bin, often referred to as surplus food (from production, distribution & retail). The reasons for this include short-dated stock, over-production, distribution delays, end-of-line production, misshapen fruit and vegetables, unsold food from the service industry, etc.

9. TYPES OF FOOD WASTE • 3 main types 20% Unavoidable Food Waste 60% Avoidalbe Food Waste 20% Potentially Avoidalbe Food Waste

10. TYPES OF FOOD WASTE • 3 main types broken down 60% Avoidable: plate scrapings, leftovers , gone off fruit and veg, passed date items, damaged stock which cannot be used due to Health & Safety, etc. 20% Potentially Avoidable: bread crusts or heels made into bread crumbs, vegetable trimmings used for stock and soups, meat and fish bones used for stock, discarded butter for cooking, old fruit for jams and smoothies, etc. 20% Unavoidable: banana skins, animal bones (before or after used to make stock), unusable prep waste (e.g. potato peels with soil on them), etc

11. FOOD WASTE PREVENTION • Assessing your Area To prevent Food Waste you must first identify where and why food waste is being generated. Then come up with solutions to prevent this waste as close to the wasting point as possible. Before you start, consider: • The main food waste producing business types in your area • Typical quantities of food waste generated by different business • The main types of food waste generated by different business

12. FOOD WASTE PREVENTION – Solutions Source Reduction Feed Hungry People Feed Animals Industrial Uses Composting Landfill/ Incineration

13. FOOD WASTE PREVENTION – Solutions PREVENTION Reducing the waste produced Redistributing surplus food to humans Redistributing surplus food (without processing) to livestock RECYCLING Anaerobic Digestion (energy recovery system but counts as recycling for Directive) Composting RECOVERY Processing waste/surplus food for livestock feed Home composting Energy from Waste (incineration and fuel*) DISPOSAL Food disposal units to sewer Landfill

14. SPOTLIGHT – FOOD WASTE AND FOOD POVERTY IN IRELAND

15. Food Waste & Food Poverty inIreland While large amounts of food waste are generated in Ireland each year, a recent report estimated that around 10% of Irish people are in danger of food poverty and St. Vincent de Paul spends almost €10m annually helping families and individuals put food on the table.

16. The Foods most wasted in Ireland SALADS FRUIT & VEG BREAD MEAT & FISH DAIRY Almost Almost Almost Almost Almost 50% 25%* 20% 10% 10% of what we buy we throw out of what we buy we throw out of what we buy we throw out of what we buy we throw out of what we buy we throw out *Potatoes - This is the vegetable that we waste most *Bananas & Apples - This is the fruit that we waste most

17. Household Food Wastein Ireland According to www.stopfoodwaste.ie Irish households are throwing away 1 million tonnes of food waste every year costing households on average €700. Despite the advent of brown bins and composting, most of this is still ending up in landfills which has a massive impact on our environment and resources.

18. Commercial Food Wastein Ireland 2.7%Transport & Communication 1.6% General Retail 4.6% Wholesale 2.7.2% Hotel 6.1% Educations 8.1% Hospitals 11.1% Offices 23.2% Food Retail 15.5% Restaurant Extract data from the EPA National Waste Characterisation studies (2008)

19. Commercial Food Wastein Ireland Extract data from the EPA National Waste Characterisation studies (2008)

20. Food Wastein Ireland • In Ireland there is almost half a million tonnes of organic waste generated each year by households and commercial businesses • The majority of this is food based waste through it also includes garden and landscape wastes • The organic waste is split almost 50: 50 between commercial and household • In addition there is significant quantities of process based organic wastes from industrial food processors and producers, much of which goes for rendering

21. Food Wastein Ireland - Retailers Irish retailers are also under pressure to reduce food waste.

22. Food Wastein Ireland – Some Useful Links www.ghawards.ie www.localprevention.ie www.greenhealthcareprogramme.ie www.foodwaste.ie http://www.unileverfoodsolutions.ie/our- services/your-kitchen/wiseuponfoodwaste

23. SPOTLIGHT ON FOOD WASTE AND FOOD POVERTY IN THE UK

24. Food Waste in Britain There is an estimated 15 million tonnes of food wasted in Britain from the plough to the plate. Tristram Stuart2009, Waste: Uncovering the Global Food Scandal

25. Domestic Food Waste in Britain Almost 50% of the total amount of food thrown away in the UK comes from homes. This equates to 7 million tonnes of food and drink, it is estimated that more than half of this is food and drink could have eaten.  Wasting this food costs the average household £470 a year, rising to £700 for a family with children, the equivalent of around £60 a month.

26. Britain – one of the worst offenders in Europe

27. Most Wasted Foods in Britain The foods most wasted are: • fresh vegetables and salad • drink • fresh fruit • bakery items such as bread and cakes

28. Food Waste,receiving attention… Supermarkets are under increasing pressure from the public to improve significant waste reductions. The UK government remains adamant that this movement should continue to be voluntary for all supermarkets. France has recently passed a new law in which supermarkets will be banned from throwing away or destroying unsold food, enforcing that ‘waste’ food must instead be donated to charities or be made into animal feed.

29. Spotlight on Love Food Hate Waste Thisis an organisation supported by Waste and Resources Action Plan (WRAP), a not-for-profit organisation in the UK. Their goal is to raise awareness of food waste, and helping people to reduce their own household waste by using up leftovers and buying more than they need. Their comprehensive website includes a shopping list, sell by date information and a smartphone app, which provides recipes on how to use up leftovers They work with a wide range of partners, from community organisations, chefs, UK Governments, UK businesses, trade bodies and local authorities through to individuals looking for practical advice.

30. '10 cities' Love Food Hate Waste The Love Food Hate Waste ‘10 cities’ campaign is working in Belfast, Birmingham, Cardiff, Glasgow, Greater Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool City Region, Newcastle, Nottingham and Sheffield. The campaign involves Local Authorities, community groups, the public sector, local businesses, and the grocery industry and includes a range activities including Cascade Training, practical cookery classes, kitchen skills programme – Save More, food champion networks, cookery demonstrations, and memorable experiential events in each city. They are collecting pledges from city dwellers committed to Do One Thing Differently to act on their own food waste.

31. Food Waste & Tackling Food Poverty Some 43 million people are thought to be at risk of food poverty in Europe. Food Poverty is a key focus of the community and charity sector who are working to tackle the issue. Likewise, policy makers are taking steps to address same.

32. Policy Approaches– Northern Ireland A Fitter Future for All: Framework for Preventing and Addressing Overweight and Obesity in Northern Ireland 2012-2022 The Obesity prevention strategy for Northern Ireland seeks to develop a coordinated approach to address food poverty. The strategy sets medium-term outcomes (2016 to 2019) that ensure local support, resources and facilities are available to those experiencing food poverty. - See more at: https://www.food.gov.uk/northern-ireland/nutritionni/ninutritionhomeless#sthash.AEznRg86.dpuf

33. Spotlight on Best Practice Projects Trussell Trust Food Bank Network – UK works in partnership with local churches and organisations to bring foodbanks to communities across the UK (it also operates in Bulgaria) There are now over 380 foodbanks in the network https://www.trusselltrust.org/ - watch and learn - https://youtu.be/NwEMJiKA6AY

34. One such Food Bank – Craigavon Food Bank 4 STEP PROCESSS ... 1) Food is donated Schools, churches, businesses and individuals donate non-perishable, in-date food to the foodbank. All food given out by foodbanks is donated. ‘Supermarket Collections’ are one of the main ways that food is donated: These are food drives held at supermarkets where volunteers give shoppers a ‘foodbank shopping list’ and ask them to buy an extra item or two for local people in crisis. http://craigavonarea.foodbank.org.uk/

35. One such Food Bank – Craigavon Food Bank 2. Food is sorted and stored Volunteers sort food to check that it’s in date and pack it into boxes ready to be given to people in need. 3.Frontline care professionals identify people in need Care professionals such as doctors, health visitors, social workers, CAB and police identify people in crisis and issue them with a foodbank voucher.

36. One such Food Bank – Craigavon Food Bank 4. Clients receive food Foodbank clients bring their voucher to a foodbank centre where it can be redeemed for three days emergency food. Volunteers meet clients over a cup of tea or free hot meal and are able to signpost people to agencies able to solve the longer-term problem. As it involves a wide catchment area, Craigavon foodbank also runs a rural delivery service, which takes emergency foodboxes to clients living in rural areas who cannot afford to get to a foodbank.

37. Real life stories For Charlotte, the foodbank was a life saver 21 year-old college student Charlotte had not eaten properly for weeks and could not afford gas to heat her flat when she came to the foodbank in January. After leaving state care she was determined to make something of her life and was funding herself through college. Working two evening jobs to make ends meet, she was made redundant from both within a month. As a 21-year-old in full time education with no children she did not qualify for benefits. She sold everything she had and, with nowhere else to turn, she asked her local councillor for help; they referred her to the foodbank. When she arrived she was ill, dehydrated and in the first stages of malnutrition. For Charlotte, the foodbank was a life saver. She says she has no idea what she would have done without it. She was so impressed by the support she received that she began volunteering at the foodbank.

38. Another great example… Foodcycle is a UK national charity that combines volunteers, surplus food and spare kitchen spaces to create tasty, nutritious meals for people at risk of food poverty and social isolation. They run over 24 projects across the UK, united by the simple idea that food waste and food poverty should not coexist. Their model is simple: they combine surplus food, volunteers and spare kitchen spaces to create nutritious three-course meals for people at risk of food poverty and social isolation. https://vimeo.com/51527043

39. FOOD WASTE INITIATIVES to learn from …

40. Feeding the 5000 • (UK/International) Tristram Stuart’s initiative is organizing the world to prevent "wonky" fruits, vegetables, and other food from being wasted. Feeding the 5000 encourages farmers to participate in the “gleaning movement” – where volunteers collect unattractive produce that would otherwise be wasted. http://feedbackglobal.org/campaigns/feeding-the-5000/

41. STOP FOOD WASTE INITIATIVE – IRELAND • 1. Promotion of food waste prevention message • Provide information • Website, materials, newsletter, social media, commercial information and support, commercial food waste tool (new) • National Promotion and national Events • Cookery demos • 2. Promoting composting • Provide information • Master Composters & Demo Sites

42. Healthy Food for All– IRELAND Healthy Food for All (HFfA) is a multi-agency initiative seeking to promote access, availability and affordability of healthy food for low-income groups on the island of Ireland. The initiative sets out to demonstrate the relationship between food poverty and other policy concerns such as health inequalities, welfare adequacy, education disadvantage, food production and distribution, retail planning and food safety. It seeks to identify and galvanise interest in, and commitment to, eliminating food poverty through raising public awareness, policy advocacy, promotion of best practice models and networking local initiatives with national structures.

43. BIA FOOD INITIATIVE IRELAND • Using food waste to fight food poverty

44. BIA FOOD INITIATIVE IRELAND http://biafi.ie/

45. FOOD CLOUD, Ireland • Using food waste to fight food poverty Since 2012, FoodCloud have been connecting businesses with too much food to charities who have too little. In 2014 they partnered with Tesco to redistribute surplus food from all of their stores in the country. Businesses can upload their daily surplus food to the FoodCloud app or website and appropriate local charities get alerted and can collect the food. To date they have provided nearly 1.5 million meals to charities across Ireland and helped use over 650 tonnes of food that would otherwise have ended up as waste. http://foodcloud.net/

46. Watch & Learn https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81EDgqRq4xw&list=PLus1kYtOHqueLZv3K76BE6pRHIF0CrqIL

47. War on Food Waste in France The French government has banned supermarket chains from destroying their surplus food, insisting instead that they redistribute it to charities or use it as animal feed. Now the government in France is going one step further and breaking down a cultural obstacle in their war on waste. It was always regarded as poor etiquette in France but now larger restaurants and cafes will have to provide doggy bags and boxes to their patrons so they can enjoy their leftovers later.

48. War on Food Waste in the UK In 2011, ReFood launched Vision 2020: UK roadmap to zero food waste to landfill. Using insight and experience from industry stakeholders, the report is a comprehensive guide to minimising both avoidable and unavoidable food waste in the UK. Since its launch, ReFood has been promoting the importance of a comprehensive national waste strategy and lobbying the government to make policy changes surrounding the food waste debate.

49. Lessons from Europe

50. Stop Spild Af Mad  • (Stop WastingFood) (Denmark) Danish food expert Selina Juul’s campaign inspired Danish supermarket Rema 1000 to replace buy-one-get-one-free and other quantity-based discounts with general discounts in all of its stores. Such discounts, frequently implemented by grocery stores to get produce off the shelves, often result in food being wasted at home.