How does business counteract the problem of food waste?
The statistics on food waste in Poland are alarming. Annually, we throw away 4.8 million tons of food. The key to overcoming this problem is consumer education and solutions that support them in making more sustainable purchasing decisions.
The problem of the distribution of food is one of the most blatant examples of the unequal distribution of resources and resources in the world. It also applies to Europe, where the malnutrition rate is as high as 8%. In turn, developed countries are struggling with the problem of obesity, which increasingly affects children as well.
The problem of hunger does not arise from a shortage of food, but from the fact that its production in the world is unevenly distributed. The problem is that, on the one hand, there is a shortage of food, and on the other – about 1/3 of the food produced each year – i.e. 1.3 billion tons worth about $ 1 trillion – is wasted in homes or shops, or broken down due to poor transport. and inappropriate harvesting practices.
These challenges are perceived by the largest organizations in the world, led by the United Nations. This is reflected, for example, in the formulation of Goal 2 of Sustainable Development „Eliminate hunger, achieve food security and better nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture” and Goal 12 on sustainable consumption, especially in Specific Task 12.3: „By 2030, halve the global amount of waste per capita food in retail and consumption, reduce food losses in the production and distribution process, including harvest losses. „
In Poland, 4.8 million tons of food are thrown away every year. Consumers waste the most – as much as 60%, i.e. nearly 3 million tonnes of food, goes to the trash in households. Production and processing are responsible for subsequent losses – a total of 30%, trade is 7%, gastronomy slightly above 1%, and less than 1% is wasted during transport and storage – according to the latest research by PROM.
The analysis carried out by an expert team showed that by 2030 it seems more realistic to reduce the scale of waste by 30%, and that households will make the greatest contribution to achieving this goal.
When it comes to actions that can be an effective response at the consumer level, experts pay attention to, inter alia, implementation for mass use of technological solutions for monitoring product expiry dates. Educational activities in this area are also important. According to the data of the Federation of Polish Food Banks, as many as 64% of adults do not know what the dates on the packaging of food products really mean. They cannot tell the difference between „best before” and „best before”. Importantly, 10% of food is wasted precisely because of misunderstanding the use-by date labels, which in turn leads to the throwing away of good products. An example of the answer to this problem is the implementation of, inter alia, by Auchan and Nestle, the „Often good longer” campaign, in which companies encourage consumers to use their senses to fight food waste, in line with the slogan „Check before you throw away: look, smell, taste.”
The organization of kitchen logistics is also important. Provident Polska implements the „Less waste” program, which is addressed to employees and advisers. One of its goals is to educate you on an effective way to avoid wasting food. The company also encourages people to go shopping with a pre-prepared list, food processing (e.g. by freezing, pasteurizing, making preserves) or donating surpluses to eating houses or food banks. Raben Group places great emphasis on cooperation with the latter, as it vividly presented the path of food saved from waste as part of the #RabenExpress campaign.
It is also important to reduce the carbon footprint of food by purchasing from local suppliers. To facilitate access to them for consumers, Allegro Lokalnie and BNP Paribas Polska encourage farmers to sell online and promote locally produced food products through special packages. On its platform, Allegro promotes sustainable development thanks to the special Naturalnie.Allegro.pl zone, where you can find products made in harmony with nature, with appropriate certificates and markings. Customers can choose the highest quality products, including those suitable for vegans and vegetarians. On the other hand, in the Allegro Supermarket zone, you can find products with an appropriate marking, a guarantee of origin or a mark awarded for meeting specific requirements – e.g. organic farming, Fair Trade, EU Flower or Rainforest Alliance.
In order to increase the transparency of the food production chain, companies also use new technological solutions. The Carrefour Polska chain has just announced that Polish own-brand potatoes covered by blockchain technology, which allows you to trace the processes of their cultivation and packaging, will soon appear in its stores. The chain is introducing such a solution as the first company from the food sector in Poland, meeting the expectations of customers and the governmental project of passporting Polish food.
It is also worth remembering that food production and consumption are related to the subject of global warming. The food sector consumes as much as 30% of the energy consumed and is responsible for 22% of greenhouse gas emissions. Waste therefore has a real impact on the climate catastrophe.
Therefore, steps are important to develop food production towards regenerative systems – that is, those aimed at protecting and restoring the optimal state of the environment and improving the living conditions of farmers and the farming community. Activities in this area are also implemented in Poland – for example by Nestlé.
Projekt otrzymał dofinansowanie z Norwegii poprzez Fundusze Norweskie 2014-2021, w ramach programu „Dialog społeczny – godna praca”.
