Food waste, the business of unsold goods and short dates

Every year, the European Sustainable Development Week is also an opportunity to take stock of the fight against food waste. In 2021, it will take place from September 18 to October 8. Thus, institutions, associations and companies take advantage of this highlight to raise awareness among the French about waste and promote good practices. For good reason, every year in France, 10 million tons of food are wasted throughout the food chain. Of these figures, 2 million tonnes go to the mess of home consumption. That’s 29 kg of food thrown away or wasted per capita. On the waste side, food is not the only victim. Thus, the French throw away each year more than 9 million tons of objects still usable,such as mobile phones.

Food waste in the world, the clash of cultures

Worldwide, 1.3 billion tons of food are thrown away or lost every year. To get an idea, this amount represents a third of the food produced.

However, food waste has very different realities from one country to another. Thus, in Africa and Asia, food waste in the entire chain from producer to consumer amounts to between 6 and 11 kg per person per year. On the other hand, in Europe and North America, losses range between 95 and 115 kg. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), with only the gachi of Europe, it would be possible to feed 1 billion people. That is to say, all the people who suffer from malnutrition in the world.

In France, a person produces nearly 600 kg of waste per year. Of this waste, 250 kg comes from household waste thrown in the garbage cans. A figure on the rise since even the waste of hygiene products has increased by more than 200% in 25 years. They now reach 25 kg per capita against 12 in the 90s, according to ADEME.

On the food side, waste in France represents 10 million tons of food. Financially, this equates to 16 billion euros lost or 240 euros per French each year. It is also 15.3 million tons of CO2 equivalent emitted for lost production.

In view of theenvironmental impact of overproduction and food waste, there is indeed an urgent need to change our consumption patterns. Especially since, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, global food demand could still increase by 40% to 70% by 2050. This is due to population growth and changes in eating behaviour.

food industry overproduction losses

The fight against gaspi for professionals, a legal obligation in France

In France, food loss and waste occur at all stages of a product’s life. Thus, it is estimated that 32% of food losses take place at the production stage; secondly, the processing and packaging stage by the food industry is responsible for 21% of the gachi; distribution such as supermarkets and grocery stores account for 14% of food losses; finally, 33% of waste occurs at the consumption stage, i.e. 50 kg per person per year. On this last stage, 19% return to consumption at home (29 kg per person per year), and 14% to catering (21 kg) while this represents only 15% of meals.

Thus, to combat food waste, particularly at the level of production, processing and marketing,France is changing its legal framework (1). It sets a goal of reducing food waste by 50% compared to its 2015 level by 2030. An objective that concerns food distribution, collective and commercial catering, consumption, production and processing.

From now on, and since February 2016, the Garot Law requires food stores of more than 400 m2 to offer a donation agreement to associations for the recovery of their unsold food still consumable. It also prohibits making unsold items that are still consumable unfit for consumption.

On the wholesale side, those with an annual turnover of more than 50 million euros are also bound by the same obligations. The same is true for operators in the agri-food industry with an annual turnover of more than fifty million euros; but also for collective catering operators preparing more than 3000 meals a day.

Schools are also attached to theanti-gaspi l utte. They are now required to present an inventory of food waste, to move towards an optimization of resources.

Since July 1, 2021, the “doggy bag” even becomes mandatory in commercial catering. It remains to be seen to what extent it will be proposed by the restaurateurs, as well as the planned control methods.

fight food waste catering doggy bag

Anti-gaspi initiatives and companies around donation

The government and institutions such as ADEME are not the only ones able to fight against food waste. In fact, many initiatives have emerged in recent years to give a second life to objects or reduce waste. Some of them even rely on donations to facilitate the adoption process.

This is for example the case of the Givewebsite, which allows individuals to create ads and find buyers for unused objects, or even food. Other alternatives are also democratizing, relying more on new technologies and current uses related to mobile and applications. All this, to establish themselves as practical and easy-to-use solutions on a daily basis. Enough not to discourage goodwill.

In this respect, theGeev anti-gaspi application is doing well (2). Created in 2017, it has 3 million users and has prevented the waste of 165 tons of food. Since its creation, the application has given a second life to more than 20,500 tons of objects. Overall, more than 11 million items and food products have found buyers. The Bordeaux company, far from being satisfied with France, is already present in Canada and the United Kingdom. It aims to develop its international presence to democratize donation between individuals, even between countries.

Applications for the valuation of unsold goods and short dates

Other initiatives choose to intervene with both merchants and consumers. The opportunity to reduce losses in stores and offer products at a lower cost to buyers.

The leader in the sector is called Too Good To Go. The application has no less than 9.8 million users in France. It works with nearly 22,000 cafes, restaurants, supermarkets, bakers, hotels… Since its creation in 2015, it has saved 28.7 million meals.

fight against gaspi local initiatives

On the same model, thePhenix application is gradually gaining ground. Thus, in 2020, it allowed the distribution of 44 meals that were going to be lost. It has about 2 million users, for 10,000 partner businesses and 1,500 associations. In addition, since 2014, it has been at the origin of the creation of 200 jobs in France.

There are also local initiatives, such as Still A Meal in Bordeaux.

Business concepts for the fight against food waste

On the other hand, these initiatives come when it is already too late for businesses to sell their goods properly. Thus, other companies are investing in the field of the fight against gaspi,accompanying supermarkets and the agri-food industry in the sales process.

The company Zéro-Gâchis is thus on a missionto help distributors manage unsold products. By installing Zero-Waste zones in stores and adding promotional labels on short dates, it saves consumers more than €2.9 million each month and saves 1,065 tons of food. That’s about 2.13 million meals a month.

In the same vein, the nous grocery chain is entirely dedicated to the marketing of devalued products. It fills its shelves with products that are out of the conventional distribution channels because of slight defects. Which are not unfit for consumption. To encourage consumers to get their supplies at home, products are sold at lower prices than the big brands. The concept seems to have quickly met its audience since the brand already has about fifteen stores. It aims to have 50 stores by 2024 and to do so raise funds from Eutopia, Quadia and Danone Manifesto Ventures.

Sources

  1. Food waste, Ecology.gouv
  2. “European Sustainable Development Week: The amount of waste produced has doubled in 40 years”. Geev press release of 14 September 2021
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