π Planet π Society

How to reduce food waste

4 episodes

1

12 solutions to reduce food waste
2

30% of global food production is wasted
3

Food: why do consumers waste food?
4

What if the fight against waste prevents us from questioning the overproduction of food?

Épisode 1/4

12 solutions to reduce food waste

On September 13th, 2022

4 min reading time

Anne-Claire Asselin

Founding President of X-Food

Pierre Lacotte

Treasurer and Founding member of X-Food

Adrien Delepelaire

Deputy General Secretary and Founding member of X-Food

Key takeaways

Launched in late 2018, X-Food aims to shed light on controversies on topics related to agriculture and food. In 2022, they published a report outlining 12 solutions to help reduce food waste.
Over 50% of French people do not know the difference between the “Use By” date and the “Expiration Date” – it is responsible for around 20% of consumer food waste.
Sizing and appearance criteria resulting from regulations, as well as certain buyers’ specifications, lead to a significant rejection of downgraded production.
It would also be possible, by changing the legislation, to offer products which do not meet aesthetic criteria more systematically to consumers at a reduced price.
At the national level, more visibility on the subject of food waste is needed.

Épisode 2/4

30% of global food production is wasted

Marina Julienne, Independent Journalist

On May 11th, 2022

4 min reading time

Laurence Gouthière

Head of Research for Food Waste at ADEME

Key takeaways

In 2011, the FAO presented the first global estimate of food waste: ~1/3 of the edible parts of food produced for human consumption is lost or wasted, corresponding to about 1.3 billion tonnes of food per year.
In France in 2016, all food loss and waste represented ~10 million tonnes or 150 kg per person per year.
Several laws have been put in place to counteract food waste, such as Garot’s law in 2016, the Egalim 1 law in 2018 and the anti-waste law of 2020.
Companies such as Too good to go or Phenix have anticipated these laws and are already to acting by inventing original solutions to fight against food waste.

Épisode 3/4

Food: why do consumers waste food?

Marina Julienne, Independent Journalist

On May 11th, 2022

3 min reading time

Sandrine Costa

Economist and Research Fellow at the MoISA* laboratory of INRAE

Key takeaways

Sandrine Costa studies food waste to suggest measures that can impact on consumer behaviour.
By studying the leftovers on trays of 479 people who had eaten in different company restaurants, she observed that while 398 of them had left food, only half of them said they had.
Collective catering is a strategic lever in the fight against waste. It has been estimated in various European countries that between 13 and 55% of the food produced and distributed in collective catering ends up in the bin.
Making a shopping list, learning how to cook leftovers, reserving a specific place in the fridge for leftovers so that each member of the family can spot them, can all be effective in avoiding waste.

Épisode 4/4

What if the fight against waste prevents us from questioning the overproduction of food?

Marina Julienne, Independent Journalist

On May 11th, 2022

4 min reading time

Marie Mourad

Sociologist and independent consultant specialising in waste reduction

Barbara Redlingshöfer

research engineer at the French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and the Environment (INRAE)

Key takeaways

The available food production of France and the United States amounts to more than 3,500 calories per day per person – for estimated needs of around 2,000 or at most 2,500 calories.
Contrary to popular belief, a large family, per person, wastes less than a couple without children, as they have more opportunities to offer cooked leftovers.
Tax deductions are most often calculated on the weight of food donated, which encourages a focus on quantity over quality.
Companies such as Too Good to Go are taking action, for example, by having 62 companies sign a pact to reduce food waste due to use-by dates.

Contributors

Marina Julienne

Independent Journalist

Marina Julienne graduated in Literature (University of Paris IV) and Political Science (University of Paris I). Initially a journalist in editorial content (Zélig press agency, Infomatin daily newspaper, Eureka monthly), she has worked as a freelancer for Science et Vie, La Recherche, Sciences actualités (Cité desciences), Terre Sauvage, Le Monde Science and Médecine. She is also the author and director of several documentaries, particularly in the field of education, for France-Télévision and Arte.