S.turn green for more than one in 3 Italians, as much as 35 percent, who, driven by inflation and higher bill prices, will cut waste in the coming months adopting solutions to save food and recover what is left at the table. These are the results that emerged from a Coldiretti survey on behavior over the next 6-12 months published on the occasion of the International Day of Awareness on Food Waste and Loss which is celebrated today, 29 September.
Food waste: the high cost of living makes Italians improve
The high cost of living triggered by the energy crisis and from the war in Ukraine it is strongly felt on the citizens. Which are inevitably pushed to adopt more responsible behaviors to save family budgets. But the food waste problem remains. In private homes the food thrown away reaches about 11% of the food purchased and canteens and retailers throw away 5% and 2% respectively. A problem still too little felt, though the citizens of the beautiful country with their 67 kilos of food thrown away a year, however, they are more responsible than the French, the Germans and the British which, respectively, in a year throw 85, 75 and 77 kilos each.
One billion tons of food thrown around the world
Worldwide wasted food reaches one billion tons, a figure equal to 17 percent of all food produced. A disgraceful figure if you think about it the devastating impact this action has on the climate and the environment, it is estimated that the emissions associated with food waste represent 8-10% of the total greenhouse gases. Without to forget the effect on an already hard hit economy from the Covid emergency and from the war.
Food waste, call to action
On 29 September, the Before World Food Loss and Waste Awareness Day, (International Day of Awareness for Food losses and waste). The initiative, proclaimed by the United Nations, aims to be a call to action to raise awareness of the whole world, citizens and institutions, on the centrality of the issue of food losses and waste. And on major challenges to be faced in order to foster a sustainable economy and circular for the future of the Planet. Challenges for which action is needed both at global and local level.
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