Food waste: Commission raises the alarm. One-fifth of food produced in Europe is binned. The EU’s actions

“Our food system is under great pressure. We are dealing at the same time with the negative effects of climate change, environmental degradation, economic shocks and violent conflicts, which are endangering food security for millions of people around the world”, said Commissioner for Health and Food Safety Stella Kyriakides, on the occasion of the third International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste. “Against this backdrop, it is unacceptable that 20% of all food we produce in the EU is lost or wasted”.
“In the EU - she added - we are already taking decisive actions to address global food security through international cooperation, supporting the establishment of sustainable and resilient food systems through our investments in partner countries. We are also mobilising humanitarian aid and support to those most affected by the crisis, in cooperation with our Member States. While food availability is not currently at stake in the EU, food affordability is becoming a growing concern for many households. Today, over 36 million people in the EU cannot afford a healthy meal every other day. If we are to achieve a sustainable food system and enhance food security, we need to make the most of our food and the resources that go into producing it”.
And she went on to stress: “the EU’s Farm to Fork Strategy gives us a clear direction to drive food losses and waste out of our food system. We are now in the process of preparing the first ever EU legislation to set binding food waste reduction targets. With this we will intensify food waste prevention actions on the ground and scale-up the EU’s contribution to the global target of halving food waste by 2030”.
Valentina Bombelli