Things are not going well with the world, raw materials are running out and the problem with CO² emissions keeps growing, we produce too much waste, etc.
A small country
In the Netherlands alone, producers, processors, catering establishments and supermarkets throw away 2.5 billion euros worth of food every year. A large part of these losses is still being used, for example as cattle feed. But the consumer also contributes just as hard to food waste, about fifty kilos per year per person. What is good for another 2.5 billion. Too much purchased, stored too long, too much cooked or just not tasty.
womenshealthmag.nl
Foodwaste factory
Five years ago during a no-waste dinner that was served by an catering establishment, the director challenged the hall with agricultural production companies and suppliers to bring their residual streams to him so that something tasty could be made of it. The first ones that presented themselves were some supermarkets. From their stores often products were thrown away that were no longer good enough to put on the shelves, but were actually still very good to consume. Together with a University and the company's innovation center, the first wasted soups were developed. And that tasted like more. Much more. Because food waste is a large-scale problem. Upscaling was necessary and together with sponsors the idea for the factory was created. And this is just the beginning ..
More and more suppliers find their way to the factory and see the remains of their product processed in a soup or sauce.
In short a success story
happynews.nl
What a great initiative!
In Luxembourg, I heard, that the biggest Super-Markets give away products that are still good, but no more suitable to put on the shelves and they are used in the charity kitchens throughout the country.
In Verdun, France, where I visited the WW1 sites, I had parked my camper on a rv-park near the back side of a huge Super-Market. There I observed, they put that old stuff and people in need came by to take what they wanted.
I think every method of using still valuable food is better than dumping it into the garbage.
Great to hear from the initiatives in Luxembourg and France and the social entrepreneurship from companys.
I think in the future many countries will follow.
Here in Lampeter (Wales) a group of local warriors are using the Victoria Hall kitchen to provide a Food Surplus cafe every Thursday afternoon - one of many community initiatives going on at the hall
Good to hear!
I think that a lot of good things are still happening. By asking for attention, this can only grow.