Eleven million tons of food end up in the trash in Germany every year. According to the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture, food waste occurs along the entire food supply chain – from primary production to private households. Some of it is avoidable. The Greens in the Unterhachinger municipal council are therefore calling for a concept to curb food waste in an application. The aim should be for Unterhaching to get actively involved in food rescue. The deputy mayor Johanna Zapf has put together some ideas.
A non-profit organization against the throwaway mentality already exists in Unterhaching. The “association for food rescue and against the waste of resources” cooperates with twelve supermarkets, 30 drivers pick up groceries there every day, which are mainly passed on to the food banks. Green politician Zapf now wants to put food rescue on an even broader basis and suggests contacting the initiative and inviting its representatives to the municipal council.
Children and young people should be sensitized to the topic
She also wants to bring operators of restaurants, cafés, canteens and supermarkets to one table. At events in the municipality of Unterhaching, leftover food should also be made available for rescue, according to the application. “Edible food should no longer be thrown away. This is possible through cooperation with food rescuers,” says Zapf. To this end, she proposes setting up a so-called food outlet that is easily accessible to all citizens over a period of two years, for example, in which saved food can be sold at a symbolic price.
In order to achieve the global sustainability goals of the United Nations, also known as “Sustainable Development Goals”, which envisage a reduction of food waste by 50 percent per capita in retail and at consumer level, information and education must also be addressed, Zapf is convinced secure. The administration should therefore support the educational institutions in the community in educating children and young people on the subject of food storage, shelf life and use and to actively take action against waste. In addition, educational work is to be carried out through events and information materials. Zapf emphasizes: “The production of food produces greenhouse gases and requires resources such as water, soil and energy. Throwing away food is irresponsible given the limited resources of our planet.”