We told you, a while back, about the move by some forward-thinking grocery retailers and food producers to start selling less-then-perfect produce. Checking in on the movement, we find it’s catching on big-time with entrepreneurs. And governments are passing laws in support…
We have to stop throwing away perfectly good food!A World Bank report starkly states:
We’ll need 50 per cent more food in 35 years than we produce now, and
we’ll have 25 per cent less food by then if nothing is done.
Both Italy and France have recently passed federal laws decreeing that imperfect and left-over food be used in some productive way. In Italy, a new law passed just this week makes it easier for businesses to donate surplus food to charities and for customers to request a doggie bag – something that’s not traditionally all that popular in Italy, but it’s a custom that officials want to encourage, to save waste. In France, large (chain) supermarkets are banned from throwing out food. Instead, they have three options to choose from for re-use: donate the food to charity, to farms that can use it for animal feed, or to compost. Nothing is wasted in France’s model.
Here in Canada, Loblaws has been a leader in offering consumers less-than-perfect fruit and veggies under its Naturally Imperfect campaign. The program, which was rolled out first in central Canada, is being expanded to Loblaw’s stores across the country.
But wait! There’s more!
A whole new class of entrepreneurs is emerging in the food supply chain. They’re acting as match-makers between folks with surplus or imperfect food and folks who can use it or sell it.Discounts of 15 to 80 per cent are not unusual in this co-operative system. Everybody wins.
One standout is Caroline Pellegrini of Montreal who has gone as far as to develop a smart phone app to connect sellers with buyers. She says the brokerage model is the one that will work best, and will work anywhere – even without an app. She’s ready to expand her service to other markets.
It’s up to all of us on the consumer side to do our part. Buy imperfect produce and save! Don’t buy more than you can use! Don’t prepare more than you can eat! Compost your peels and trims! Let’s make an effort now to ensure there’s enough food for all in the coming decades!
~ Maggie J.