According to a conference on food waste held in the European Parliament on Thursday, one third of all food produced in the world is thrown out every year, mainly due to excessive purchasing and poor understanding of the meaning of expiration dates.
“The awareness of the value of food, the effort and resources necessary to produce food, has disappeared, and food is thrown away in huge quantities,” said Biljana Borzan, Croatian MEP from the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats group.
“This awareness can be restored through information and education, notably of children.”
Borzan organised the conference in cooperation with French MEP Angelique Delahaye from the European People’s Party group in the European Parliament, and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
FAO’s “Do Good: Save Food!” programme was introduced on a trial basis in 18 schools in Italy, France, Belgium, and England. The school programmes, including classes, workshops, and other activities, aim to prevent wasting food, which is seen as a habit children most readily adopt at home.
According to FAO data, almost one third of food produced in the world, or about 1.3 billion tonnes, is thrown away every year, of which 88 million is tossed out in the European Union alone.
This amounts to some 173 kg per person, mainly from households.
It is estimated that, as a result, the EU loses €143 billion every year. At the same time, it is believed that 821 million people around the world are chronically malnourished, with poverty and hunger constantly on the rise.
“Unfortunately, over 1,000 tonnes of food is thrown away in Croatia daily. Such figures force us to act and, of course, it’s very important to influence children from the earliest age so they can learn how to treat food,” Borzan said.
She said she would try to have the “Do Good: Save Food!” programme introduced in Croatian kindergartens and schools.
With the help of EU funding, Croatian schools offer children milk, fruit and vegetables from domestic producers. Educating children about food and its production is not mandatory, but Croatia is one of several EU countries which have launched educational programmes about the unnecessary wasting of food in schools.
In May 2017, the European Parliament adopted a report by Borzan on an initiative for the efficient use of resources, reduction of waste, and better safety of food. The report is aimed at reducing the quantity of the food that is thrown away through coordinated regulations and education. By 2030, the quantity of food that is thrown away in the EU is expected to be halved.
The initiative’s guidelines are not legally binding, but should help Croatia define national guidelines and legislative solutions, so that the quantity of food that is thrown away can be cut by 50 percent.
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