Food, what a waste!

Food, what a waste!

It is estimated that we waste about a third of all the food that we produce for human consumption. One third...that is a LOT of food.

Producing food requires an enormous environmental effort; Land that has been deforested, species that have been driven to extinction, indigenous populations that have been made homeless, uprooted soil that has been degraded and a huge amount of water used – all to produce food that we purchase and then throw away uneaten?

This is not a scare tactic, but unfortunately this is the reality of the food waste problem we have worldwide. These are facts. It is hard for us in the western world to understand the devastating effects that food waste has on the environment, because we can’t see it with our own eyes.

Where are we going wrong?

There is no question that globally, our food systems are broken. I have spoken previously about the disconnect that currently exists between us and our food. Purchasing food is no longer the tangible experience it once was.

The majority of society in the developed world have opted out of the experience and relationship that comes with buying your food from local suppliers and growers. We choose to pick up a heavily wrapped piece of meat or single vegetable in a supermarket, rather than actively select a whole fish from a fishmonger who then fillets it for you or a local vegetable supplier who’s produce you can touch and discuss with them.

When the origin reads Chile for the plastic box of blueberries you are buying - should alarm bells not start ringing?

The concept of convenience has become a sort of birth right to people who see eating seasonally as merely losing out on the items they want NOW. No matter the destination it came from or what process it took to get into your shopping basket.

The same applies to a business. If the head chef doesn’t cultivate strong relationships with local suppliers, they are more likely to go for the easy purchase, which often comes associated with huge food air miles.

Selecting products from a product catalogue and going about your daily routine, is not the responsible way to handle the food you serve. Learning about the origins of your produce, the farmers and growers who create it and the methods and processes they use to give you the finished product are integral to striking a balance in our food systems.

Eating seasonally and promoting this on your menus will no doubt see a positive reaction from your customers. It shows thought and concern for our environment as well as highlighting your support of local, seasonal produce - which is good for the local economy.

Local Produce - why is it so important?

It might seem hard to believe that there is a connection with buying local and preventing food waste. But think about it - if you’re purchasing out of season produce, or even food that can’t be grown in your country - it is going to take a long time in transit to get to your restaurant or business.

More than half of food waste actually occurs along the supply chain. Buying local, seasonal produce helps reduce the risk of food going to waste before it reaches you.

Fresh, local food is becoming more and more sought after by our customers. In fact, customers have questions about their food and love to see the producers listed and of course the more local - the better!

Consequences of Convenience

Proper waste segregation is crucial. If not segregated correctly, another devastating effect of food waste, is that when the majority of it ends up in our landfill bins it decomposes without access to oxygen and creates methane, which is 23 times more deadly than carbon dioxide. 

Every which way you look at it food waste is a major culprit in destroying our planet, and in fact if food waste were a country, it would be the third largest emitter of greenhouse gases after China and the USA.

When we look at food waste a bit closer to home, in our Hospitality industry for example, there is a staggering statistic that 70% of the Food Waste produced by Hotels and Restaurants is actually avoidable. While we are putting food in the bin there are millions of people starving in other countries, but for this blog, I am going to move away from the human side of this problem, and talk about what most motivates business owners: 

COST SAVINGS.

Putting food in the bin is literally the equivalent of putting your hard earned cash in the bin. More so even, than any other waste type. You have to factor in the following elements:

1. You bought the raw produce at a cost.
2. You stored it in your fridges and freezers using energy that also cost you money
3. Then you cooked it, using energy and staff wages to add to that cost.
4. And then, when the food comes back from your food service areas, or when it is spoiled in your fridges, you pay money for your waste company to take it away.

What an absolute waste! 

​Food waste, has an estimated cost of €3 per Kg. In the last 4 years I have been working with Hospitality owners and I have seen some businesses putting over €150,000 into their bins. 

I heard a great phrase from a food waste expert on LinkedIn recently “When it comes to food waste, question everything”. 

That should be the new mentality around food waste.

Food waste is a commodity of the western world, a commodity of the consumerism society we are all living in, it is costing us money, and it is costing us our planet.

Raquel