Netherlands
Of the annual 4.4 billion euros of food wasted in the Netherlands, more than half is thrown away by Dutch consumers – around 110 lbs per person. This is equivalent to around 100,000 garbage truck loads of good edible food going to waste, much of it having travelled long distances. The Dutch government is aiming to achieve a 20% decrease in food waste by 2015 and the EU wants to see a 50% decrease of food waste by 2025.
FOOD Battle
Wageningen UR has been researching methods for reducing food waste and highlighting the problem for years. A recent appealing example is the Food Battle, in which consumers compete to minimise waste as much as possible. This will also receive attention during 'Damn Food Waste'.
In addition, live cooking and tasting sessions will be staged in which Wageningen UR, a supermarket chain and a catering company will team up in the framework of the 'CHAMP project' to prepare a sumptuous and nutritious meal from products that have nearly reached their best before date. The results of the European Interreg project GreenCook, which was involved in the F5000 in Paris in 2012, will also be presented.
Social movement'Damn Food Waste' is therefore by no means a one-off event, but one of the first in a series of coordinated actions. FUSIONS is organising a follow-up conference in Amsterdam on 17 and 18 October and the next Food Battle is already being planned. The unique cooperation between chain partners, social organisations and citizen-supported initiatives can provide significant momentum for an increasingly larger social movement that stands for less food waste.
FOOD Battle
Wageningen UR has been researching methods for reducing food waste and highlighting the problem for years. A recent appealing example is the Food Battle, in which consumers compete to minimise waste as much as possible. This will also receive attention during 'Damn Food Waste'.
In addition, live cooking and tasting sessions will be staged in which Wageningen UR, a supermarket chain and a catering company will team up in the framework of the 'CHAMP project' to prepare a sumptuous and nutritious meal from products that have nearly reached their best before date. The results of the European Interreg project GreenCook, which was involved in the F5000 in Paris in 2012, will also be presented.
Social movement'Damn Food Waste' is therefore by no means a one-off event, but one of the first in a series of coordinated actions. FUSIONS is organising a follow-up conference in Amsterdam on 17 and 18 October and the next Food Battle is already being planned. The unique cooperation between chain partners, social organisations and citizen-supported initiatives can provide significant momentum for an increasingly larger social movement that stands for less food waste.