Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/294639
Opinion 25 maltatoday, SUNDAY, 13 APRIL 2014 Addressing food waste U ntil recently, food waste hardly featured at all on the national agenda or even in the waste management sector, despite being a major component of the waste we generate on a regular basis. It was by strategic design that we decided to place the food waste issue centre stage. Because apart from causing irreparable damage to our waste streams we genuinely felt that in addressing food waste we can help families in general to send less waste to landfill and keep more money in their pockets. For food waste to be contained, an all-round effort needs to be undertaken by all, from the supermarkets and food retailers to the customers and consumers themselves. In Malta, the phenomenon of food waste has hardly been ever addressed except for some NSO figures that surfaced in recent months. The issue of food waste is featured prominently in the recently approved waste management plan and also in the waste minimization plan. I still think that the food waste issue needs to be addressed and studied much more technically and scientifically beyond the mere statistical figures of the NSO. I am also sure that far more dark truths will surface through deeper probing of the subject. While food waste issues have long featured prominently in other countries, they have hardly caught much of our society's attention, save for a particular instance when I commented upon an NSO figure that quoted the exact level of food that goes to waste locally. The moment they saw and heard the percentage figure they gasped in awe. In the past few days the European Union Committee of the House of Lords has published an interesting study that not only set out to count the cost of food waste, but also looked at the subject from an EU food waste prevention perspective. Most importantly, the study concluded that food waste has grown into a major public policy issue. Figures show, in the most shocking manner, that consumers in industrialized countries tend to waste almost as much food as the entire net food production of sub-Saharan Africa. The global carbon footprint of waste food has been estimated as more than twice the total greenhouse gas emissions of all road transportation in the United States. It comes as no surprise that many tend to find it hard to address food waste, even more so since in spite of the compelling need that it fuels for immediate action, many still hold back from defining it and monitoring it as they should. The study draws an important conclusion that apart from the substantial costs involved at a strategic level, this should be a task for the new European Commission to address by working alongside Member States. Nevertheless it cannot be addressed or be expected to work unless it is tackled as an issue at both a local and individual level. When someone tried to estimate the amount of food waste per annum in the EU, this amounted to some 89 million tonnes of food, with the potential of rising to approximately 126 million tonnes by the year 2020 if no action is taken. The problem must be addressed from at least three angles; the economic, the environmental and the social implications. I recall having discussed this whole issue with the former Minister for Family Affairs, now occupying the prestigious post of President of the Republic, a few months ago, at the time that the waste plan had been published. Many are of the opinion that such an issue can be tackled best if the European Commission were to consider bringing together EU-level bodies, representing the various parts of the supply chain, and building on existing mechanisms while ensuring that even consumers are represented in such work. To date the European Commission is not even known to have published guidance on the application of the waste hierarchy to food. In many countries, including Malta and friendly states like Britain, significant quantities of food waste are currently sent to landfills. Thus the provision of separate food waste collections remains, where feasible, an important aspect of moving food waste off the bottom rung of the hierarchy. The Scottish government makes separate collections obligatory for urban businesses. Another flaw in the current system is that efforts across the EU are fragmented and untargeted. Against such a scenario, the potential gains to be achieved from action might be significant but policy makers would be inclined to remain paralysed by uncertainty. I believe that research and innovation is the key to progress in food waste prevention. Many tend to argue that the idea of a universal food waste definition that works across the food supply chain and at different geographical scales might defy the complexities of the European food supply chain. On the other hand a more productive step could be that of standardising approaches to defining different material and waste flows at each stage of the food supply chain, including unavoidable waste. One other problem that needs to be addressed is the need for voluntary public disclosure and greater openness about food waste. Food waste monitoring and data collection across the supply chain must also be effectively resourced across the EU. The bottom line of it all is that if we truly and really believe in a resource-efficient Europe, all involved throughout the supply chain should be looking to minimize waste of all varieties. Leo Brincat is Minister for Sustainable Development, the Environment and Climate Change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eo Brincat For food waste to be contained, an all-round effort needs to be undertaken by all