Minimizing Food Waste in Europe Leads to Significant Environmental Footprint Reduction
Recent research indicates that European food consumption relies heavily on global resources, primarily imported from non-European countries. The food supply chain, starting from the primary agricultural sector, experiences food loss and waste until it reaches European consumers.
Marianne Thomsen, a professor of sustainable food systems at the University of Copenhagen, suggests that halving food loss and waste in Europe, along with redistributing global food resources, could help address global food shortages. Therefore, investing in solutions to reduce food loss and waste at every stage of the supply chain is essential, according to Marianne Thomsen.
Less Food Waste, Greener Europe: Gains from reducing food loss and waste
The researchers’ calculations reveal the potential impact of halving food loss and waste along Europe’s food supply chains. Cutting food loss and waste in these chains by 50% would lead to substantial benefits, including:
- An 8% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from European food consumption.
- A 6% decrease in agricultural and grazing areas, totaling 12% when considering grazing areas.
- A 7% reduction in water consumption.
- A 14% reduction in energy used for food production in Europe.
Marianne Thomsen emphasizes the importance of monitoring and reporting food loss and waste along the supply chain as a valuable policy tool. She believes that such measures, alongside other policies, can encourage businesses and society to invest in new technologies and collaborative efforts to minimize food loss and waste within local circular food systems.
Marianne Thomsen highlights potential strategies for preventing food waste, including:
- Collaborative Sustainable Innovation: Companies can work together in circular partnerships to make use of byproducts, turning them into upcycled ingredients and products.
- Utilizing Upcycled Ingredients: The service industry can incorporate upcycled ingredients created from surplus food in the wholesale sector.
- Portion Control: Restaurants and eateries can encourage customers to choose smaller portions by reducing plate sizes.
A New Angle on Europe’s Footprint
The researchers used a consumption-based accounting approach to calculate greenhouse gas emissions associated with European food consumption. This approach considers the climate footprint of both locally produced and imported foods while excluding domestically produced items exported to other countries. Their calculations assumed that reducing food loss and waste would lead to a decrease in food production to meet European consumption.
Marianne Thomsen emphasizes that halving food loss and waste through political intervention adapted to national circumstances is essential. Regional variations determine the most effective intervention strategies. Western European countries like France, Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands have significant potential for reducing carbon footprints.
Additionally, nations with lower GDP, such as Greece, Croatia, Bulgaria, and Romania, can make substantial contributions to food waste prevention. The agricultural sector offers the most potential for reducing carbon footprints, while the service industry, including canteens, hotels, and restaurants, can significantly save energy.
Less Food Waste, Greener Europe: Waste Terminology
Internationally, “food loss” happens from the initial agricultural stage through the food processing industry and the wholesale sector. However, when considering the journey from the retail sector to the service industry and households, we describe it as “food waste.”
The calculations
The calculations utilize data from global food production and trade in 2018. When food loss and waste linked to European food consumption are halved, it can result in the following footprint reductions based on consumption:
- A decrease of 51 million tonnes of CO2 equivalents (equivalent to 8%)
- A reduction of agricultural land use by 106,446 square kilometers (6%)
- A decrease in grazing land use by 55,523 square kilometers (6%)
- A saving of 4.6 billion cubic meters of water (7%)
- An energy savings equivalent to 131 terawatt-hours (or 0.47 exajoules), which represents a 14% reduction.
Read the original article on ScienceDaily.
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