It's good news for the many hungry folk in France with a new law being passed that prevents supermarkets and grocery stores from disposing of food fit to eat, even though the label may show it to be close to its best before date.
If it still appears safe to eat, the food must be donated to charity and if it's not safe for human consumption, it must be made available to farmers to use as animal feed or compost.
For the many who forage for food in dumpster bins, their lives have just become easier.
And thanks and congratulations must go to Arash Derambarsh, a local municipal councilor in Courbevoie, north west of Paris whose campaign against food waste led to the new law being passed. He's hoping similar legislation
can be passed globally.
The average French citizen wastes around thirty kg or sixty five pounds of food a year.
The average American throws away twenty percent of all food they buy. And in 2012, households in the United Kingdom threw away seven million tonnes of food.
We are what we eat.
Or are we what we throw away...
That is a good law. Waste not, want not!!
ReplyDeleteI agree. Too much good food is thrown away while many people go hungry.
ReplyDeleteGood on the French for once....Jennybee
Well done Mr Arash Derambarsh... What an achievement. "I have been insulted and attacked and accused of being naive and idealistic, but I became a local councillor because I wanted to help people". Well he has certainly done that, hopefully more councilors all round the world will take note of his example.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I also read that the problem is not just food waste but also over production of food. So, like most things it's not a simple issue.
I was also interested to read that the supermarkets are to pass the unsold food to the charities in a way that is ready to use - a big burden for the supermarkets or not? And charities are now required to be properly equipped with fridges and trucks to be able to handle the food donations. Will they be able to or have the finances to do this? Pressure in every direction eh!