The refusal by supermarkets to sell agricultural products that are imperfect from an aesthetic point of view can be considered one of the major causes of world food waste. This happens, for example, in the United Kingdom, with the rejection of perfectly edible vegetables from Kenya by British supermarkets. The discarded products were recovered - at least for this time - and used to prepare a lunch worthy of being served in a restaurant.
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Against food waste, the UN not only launches information campaigns, but also sets a good example And so in Nairobi the lunch for the UNEP conference was organized with the local agricultural products rejected by UK supermarkets.
The refusal by the supermarkets to put up for sale imperfect agricultural products from an aesthetic point of view it can be considered among the major causes of food waste world cup. This happens, for example, in the United Kingdom, with the rejection of perfectly edible vegetables from Kenya by British supermarkets. The discarded products were recovered and used for the preparation of a gourmet lunch.
Hundreds of ministers and authorities attended the lunch. It was organized within the headquarters UNEP of Nairobi for the promotion of a true e own international campaign to cut food waste. The lunch was included in the initiative launched by UNEP last January “Think.Eat.Save. Reduce Your Foodprint”.
The campaign aims to promote actions by consumers and food retailers to cut theover 1 billion tons of food wasted every year, with enormous economic and environmental implications, as well as social ones. No economic, ethical or environmental motivation can justify global food waste, as stated by UNEP under-secretary general Achim Steiner.
The event was organized in order to demonstrate to politicians, traders and consumers how a face change is possiblereduce the amount of food wasted, as, even when its aesthetic appearance does not appear perfect, it can still be used for the preparation of delicious and nutritious dishes.
They were harvested from farmers in Kenya 1600 kilograms of rejected fruit and vegetables by UK supermarkets as deemed imperfect. A part of them was used for the preparation of the lunch, while the remaining products were donated to local charities.
Agricultural products are rejected from the export market because of very strict standards regarding appearance. A part of the rejected harvest is offered for sale at the local market or donated, but the quantities are so high that their management is difficult.
Is an scandal that in Africa, where millions of people do not have sufficient food available for their survival, similar waste occurs. In the UK, for supermarkets, discarding 40 tons of fruit and vegetables a week is the norm. The time has come, in the opinion of UNEP, to give rise to a change in the rules and habits of traders, outlets and consumers, all over the world. Inefficient practices and excessively strict aesthetic standards should therefore be changed as soon as possible.
Marta Albè
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