What happens in Brussels can have a dramatic effect on producers and
processors in the UK so AHDB Pork contributes to running an office there. The
team and I spend our time keeping tabs on what’s happening. Here we take a look
at report on food waste.
Every year we throw away or waste about a third of all the food produced
globally says the Food and Agriculture Organisation – around 1.3 billion
tonnes! In the EU alone that amounts to 100 million tonnes and, if nothing is
done, that could rise to more than 120 million tonnes by 2020. This is clearly
not sustainable.
Taking a look behind the figures, the reasons
for food waste vary according to the type of country. In medium and high income
countries, such as Europe, they relate mainly to consumer behaviour.
An EU
survey actually
showed the majority of people emphasised individual responsibility when it came
to ways to reduce food waste. Almost two thirds said better shopping and meal
planning would contribute to the reduction of waste. Europeans also highlighted the important role of economic factors in the
food supply chain, identifying the responsibility of shops and retailers, the
hospitality and food service sectors as well as food manufacturers.
The Commission has published a Circular Economy Package. Contrary to what was expected, the EU does not set specific
EU targets on food waste reduction. However, among the considered measures (a
common EU methodology to measure food waste, better communication of date
marking labelling), they shared their intention to clarify EU legislation
relating to waste. This may be an
interesting news for the meat sector. The Commission already made it clear that
the food waste prevention strategy cannot, in any circumstances whatsoever,
jeopardise the safety of the food and feed chain. It will therefore be
interesting to see how future initiatives in this area will be seeking to
clarify and, wherever possible, lift any barriers which prevent the safe use
and reuse of food in the food and feed chains.