Foodsharing’s 3rd birthday wish is a change in law

Foodsharing’s 3rd birthday wish is a change in law

sustainability

300 tonnes of food rescued in three years, but foodsharing Luxembourg says redistribution is plaster stuck in a broken system

As a non-profit volunteer organization food sharing luxembourg Celebrating its third anniversary, it reinforces its long-term goal of enacting legislation to tackle food waste while encouraging businesses, restaurants, schools, supermarkets and individuals to do all they can to reduce food waste. I keep doing it.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, about 900 million people worldwide are hungry, while another billion are overfed.

With an area larger than China growing never-to-eat food, 1.3 trillion tonnes of food waste (one-third of the food produced in the world each year) is worth $1 trillion a year. go up to

food waste canteen

Formally established by 7 members in August 2019, food sharing luxembourg There are now over 545 volunteers and three food sharing points (Esch-sur-Alzette and Lintgen in the city) where meals can be prepared and eaten using public refrigerators. It also operates distribution days (Beaufort, Dahlem/Garnich, Dudelange, Jungleinster) where food collected from supermarkets is distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.

Foodsharing Luxembourg’s first initiative was to use food waste from farms to cook in climate demonstrations

Photo: Food Sharing Luxembourg

food sharing The first initiative was to use food waste from several farms to provide food at climate demonstrations. Since then, we have developed 107 collaborations with food businesses and are supported and partnered by many municipalities. Frères des Hommes.

“Our most successful project so far has been on saving food. pick up,” said Daniel Waxweiler of the group, adding: [businesses we work with] About 320 volunteers are involved in this project. ”

The distribution day is the day with the second highest number of volunteers. More recently, the organization began working with restaurants to provide feedback on the company’s food volume, which now produces 5,250 tonnes of food waste in Luxembourg each year. Since its founding, food sharing luxembourg Rescued over 300 tons of food.

grassroots

“We are still relying on volunteers and member abilities,” says Waxweiler. food sharing luxembourg It relies on a participatory organizational structure. “If you want to start a food sharing point or distribution day in your area, you can attend an informational meeting to get together with like-minded people in your area.”

Volunteer Hannah Proffitt-Perchard explains: food sharing luxembourg indicates that they do not want to compete with other charities and that the food waste problem is too big to focus solely on providing surplus to those in need. “I don’t want people to depend on a broken system,” she says.

Instead, food sharing luxembourg calls for legislation to dramatically reduce the current amount of food waste, which is equivalent to one-third of all food produced. “Other countries, such as the Czech Republic, France, Italy, Spain and the UK, have already enacted legislation. We encourage people to use the sniff test,” says Profit-Perchard.

She also points out that reducing food waste is the biggest solution to the climate crisis, better than electric cars, solar power or plant-based diets, according to Project DrawDown.

It has an “expiration date” set, but the “expiration date” allows you to decide if you want to consume it after that time.

Photo: Alain Pilon

How to reduce food loss?

restaurant

• Allow customers to order small portions or share meals.
• Especially at all-you-can-eat buffets, encourage customers to either bring a container to take home leftovers or charge for leftovers.
• Advertise food waste reduction and donate what you can’t use food sharing luxembourg.
• Explain to customers that not all items can always be expected (which means cafes and restaurants are encouraged to throw away food).

supermarket

• Allow your customers to customize the amount of food they purchase and increase awareness of ‘best by’ and ‘use by’ dates.
• Use better inventory management and sales forecasting.
• Promote local seasonal produce and encourage food producers to harvest all crops to avoid food waste.
• Tell customers about the most wasted foods in supermarkets and encourage them to accept different standards. For example, if you want freshly baked bread, but it’s been baked all day, you can overproduce bread.
• Sell ​​imperfect items at discounted prices and donate food that can’t be sold food sharing luxembourg.

office

• Record the food waste for the event and adjust the amount next time.
• Conduct internal training on food waste, including monitoring the contents of office refrigerators. If you have ripe fruit in your shared office basket on Friday, take it home to eat on the weekend.
• Donate excess food to Foodsharing Luxembourg.

At home

• Plan your meals and grocery stores and use lists.
• Don’t be tempted by discounts or shop when you’re hungry.
• Buy loose pieces, not pre-packaged.
• Store your items properly and use the old items first.
• See what you’re wasting (mostly salads) and buy accordingly.

Get creative with leftovers

• Freeze or store what you don’t use in a reusable container. You can freeze bread and bananas.
• Use your senses to test the expiration date (use by date means the food is no longer safe).
• Use wilted vegetables in soups or compost in your garden. You can eat the vegetables without peeling them, or use the skins to make potato chips, apple peel tea, and more.
• Find your local food sharing point and donate food that’s still good but you don’t plan to use (especially if you’re heading out on vacation).

Reducing food waste at school

• Enable students to organize food-saving events and activities and hold awareness-raising workshops.
• Teach your children the difference between “best before” and “use by” dates.
• Play before lunch to work up an appetite and increase the amount of time children have to eat. Serve food rather than portion it, but allow students to request refills.
• Allow students to pre-order meals.

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