The researchers claim the United Kingdom produces the highest level of avoidable food waste in Europe, according to a study published on August 12, in the journal Environmental Research Letters.
In coming to their conclusions, the team looked at six national studies from the UK, the Netherlands, Denmark, Finland, Germany and Romania. Data from other EU countries was either unavailable or considered unreliable. The study centered on the loss of water and nitrogen resources due to consumer waste.
The study found that 80 percent of food waste is avoidable. Even in Romania, which had the lowest amount of food waste, it was still a substantial amount, equivalent to an apple a day per person. In the UK, food waste was equivalent to a tin of beans. Averaging the food waste to everyone in Europe, the researchers say the total amount of food wasted yearly amounts to about 22 million tons.
“In some ways it’s good that this waste is ‘avoidable’,” says Davy Vanham, a lead author on the paper. “Because it means we’re able to do something about it.” And Vanham says there are many ways to reduce the food waste. “Education in schools would be valuable–and the food production industry is quite cautious–a lot of food is still ‘good’ but is thrown away when it passes its sell-by date,” he points out.
Vanham also cites economic circumstances in families that reflect on the amount of food that is wasted. He says that in Romania and Africa, there is less food waste because the family has less money to spend on food.
The team plans to do further studies, but at a more granular level, looking at individual European cities. “Waste in cities tells us a lot–this is where the bulk of our population is living now” concludes Vanham.
How big is the global food waste problem?
Readers might say the research isn’t accurate because the team used data from only six European Union states. But based on a report issued by the members of G20 on the final day of their two-day meeting on food security and nutrition in Istanbul, Turkey in May, this year, the new study is correct.
Basically, the UK and the U.S. are the biggest offenders when it comes to throwing out perfectly good food. In both countries, consumers throw out 30-40 percent of the food they purchase. Globally, industrialized nations throw out a staggering 1.5 trillion pounds of food annually. That amounts to the entire net food production of Sub-Saharan Africa.
But we need to remember that it isn’t just the consumer who is at fault for food waste. It goes further up the line, to grocery stores and food producers. Our exacting marketing standards are to blame. This is due to greater customer requirements that help in leading to that waste.
The study on EU food waste was published in the journal Environmental Research Letters on August 12, 2015 under the title: “Lost water and nitrogen resources due to EU consumer food waste.”
