Just a few days ago, we experienced Earth Day. It was impressive to see how many companies are now working on climate protection in so many different ways. But climate targets alone are not enough. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal is to cut food waste in half by 2030, and not without reason. Today is Food Waste Day, and May 2 is not just symbolic. Because statistically, all food produced by this date ends up in the trash. Together, we can take responsibility for preventing food waste. Each and every one of us - at home or at work.
Currently, food waste in Germany is around 13 million tonnes per year. According to the BMEL, the theoretically avoidable proportion of this waste is up to 8 million tonnes per year.
Out-of-home catering is responsible for around 1.7 million tonnes or 14% of all food waste in Germany. According to current findings, up to 35% of the food prepared for the out-of-home market ends up in waste and thus holds a high savings potential. Current international research results show that savings of up to 50% are feasible. The target agreement of the Dialogue Forum on Out-of-Home Catering, signed on 22.04.21, aims to reduce food waste in this sector throughout Germany by 30% by 2025 and by 50% by 2030. To achieve this goal, the help of various stakeholders from politics, business and consumers is needed.
Food waste is directly linked to CO2 emissions.
The Drawdown project shows various scenarios of how efforts to combat climate change could look at a global level. The number one solution is the reduction of food waste. A 50% reduction in food waste could save 87.45 gigatonnes of CO2-equivalent greenhouse gas emissions.
So many facts - what can we do concretely?
Wherever food is processed, there are opportunities to avoid food waste. The leverage is enormous, especially where a lot of food is produced every day. Every company can make a big contribution, for example, through their own company canteens. Read how we at Delicious Data help our customers to reduce food waste by 30-50% or let us show you right now(click here for a first exchange).
