Mless money in the wallet, less food in the bin? It is not so. The increase in prices induces Italians to consume worse and waste more. The mechanism is explained in the Report ofWaste Watcher Observatory 2024, spread in view of “National food waste prevention day” (scheduled for February 5) and carried out on the basis of Ipsoa-University of Bologna Distal monitoring.
Food waste, new data. So the economic crisis pushes us to throw away (8% more)
That’s how it went. At the beginning the inflation effect led to limiting waste in every way but the prolonged economic crisis has forced Italians to change habits. In an attempt to save money, middle-low income citizens, who represent the majority of the population, have adopted “low cost” practices. For this reason athey buy foods that cost less at the supermarket, and in particular those that are close to their expiry date or are more perishable. To then not be able to consume them.
The scientific director of Waste Watcher, Andrea Segrè, clarifies this: «Waste increases as income levels decrease. There is a close connection between inflation and global insecurity on the one hand and social consequences on the other. Between constantly decreasing purchasing power and consequent consumer choices, which unfortunately do not go in the direction of environmental health, but not even personal health.”
13 billion euros in the garbage
According to the data collected, every inhabitant of the Peninsula will “waste” 80.9 grams of foodstuffs daily (566.3 grams per week, or 42.2 more than in 2023), for a overall value of over 13 billion euros (which is equivalent to almost one point of GDP)of which 7.5 within their own home. This is 8.05% more than a year ago.
And it is therefore expected that in 2024 it will cost around 290 euros per year per family, 126 euros per capita.
More is wasted in cities, in the South and in families without children
From the investigation it therefore appears that those who declare themselves “poor” eat worse and waste more (+17%). One in two consumers looks for food close to the deadline to save money, 41% choose the discount store to the detriment of the shop, 77% have dented their savings to cover the cost of living, 28% have further cut their shopping budget food.
And, again, there is a tendency to waste more in Southern regions (4% above the national average) than in those of the North (-6%) e in cities compared to small towns.
Another aspect that emerges from the Report is that families without children they are less careful than others about not wasting.
The Italian case: food insecurity among the working class increases by 280%.
The data were analyzed according to the index Fies (Food Insecurity Experience Scale) which measures people’s level of access to adequate and nutritious food. A methodology highlights the socioeconomic aspect: and from here an “Italian case” is born. The class that declares itself “popular” (“I feel poor and struggle to make it to the end of the month”), i.e. over 5.7 million people, in fact presents an alarming 280% increase in food insecurity compared to the national average.
Insecurity that increases by 11% in families with at least one minor child and decreases by 8% in families without minor children.
What to do, then? «We need public policies aimed at mitigating the impacts of inflation on food security, withparticular attention to the protection of the most vulnerable social classes» asks Segrè. But naturally the individual must also put his own effort into it, paying more attention to the expiry times of what he buys, but not only that.
The Zero Waste 2024 campaign with Cristina Bowerman
Various initiatives have been reported on the Zero Waste website for the 11th National Food Waste Prevention Day, February 5th.
The appointment with the official events is in Rome, Monday 5 February, from 11.30 in the Europa Space, home of the European Parliament Office in Italy (here is the link to follow the live broadcast). The initiative is, as always, promoted by Zero Waste campaign by Last Minute Market with the patronage of the Ministry of the Environment, ANCI and RAI for sustainability.
“Make the difference” will be the underlying theme of the initiatives. Ambassador, chef Cristina Bowerman, a perfect example of how you can make a difference in the kitchen and in everyday choices.
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