COMCEC

Reducing Food Waste

In the 01CMember Countries

As with Italy, France alse recently made history with the introduction ef a law which bans

supermarkets frem throwing away er destroying unsold feed (Chrisafis, 2016], In February

2016, France became the first country in the World te initiate a ban en supermarkets frem

throwing away er destroying unsold feed approaching its best-befere date, and making them

donate it te charities and feed banks, The law was spurred en by civil society and anti-poverty

campaigners opposed te feed waste generated by French supermarkets, The law alse prohibits

supermarkets frem deliberately spoiling feed te prevent it frem being eaten by people who

forage in bins (Chrisafis, 2016],

Food Recovery Challenge: United States of America

Launched by the United States of America’s (US) Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the

‘Feed Recovery Challenge’, challenges participants te minimize their feed waste te save money

and improve their local communities (EPA, 2016], Companies that join the program need te

carry out an assessment ef the feed waste they generate, establish a three-year goal te reduce

feed waste sent te landfill, identify and undertake activities te reduce feed waste, and track and

repert pregress,

All the initiatives highlighted above strive for mere efficient feed waste management, increased

feed donations, and changes in behavior, Internationally, mere co-ordinated efforts are

advecating raising awareness, setting targets, the transfer ef knewledge and technelegies, and

resource mobilization (Cuesta, 2014], Several OIC Member Countries have alse initiated policies

and pregrams te reduce feed waste, These are cevered in mere detail further in the repert,

MA JOR CAUSES AND CONSEQUENCES OF FOOD WASTE

This section explores both generic household and feed service sector feed waste, the reasons

for waste generation and the environmental, economic and social impacts associated with feed

waste,

2.1. H o u s e h o ld fo o d w a s te

2 .1.1. D e f in itio n s

Definitions ef a household, even these used in population censuses, vary (FUSIONS, 2016], The

UK’s census (2011) defines a household as one person living alone; or a group of people, not

necessarily related, living at the same address who share cooking facilities and a living er sitting

room er dining area, The French Institute for Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE] defines a

household as all persons sharing the same main residence without necessarily being bleed-

related, A household can alse be constituted as a single person (INSEE, 2016],

Measurements ef household feed waste should therefore include only that generated frem

hemes (households], It concerns feed and drink cooked er prepared at heme but uneaten, Feed

may be wasted at three points:

1] Between coming into the heme and preparation,

2] Between preparation and serving, and

3] After serving (plate waste er leftovers],