Knowledge (XXG)

Food waste in Barcelona

Source đź“ť

122:(FAO) defines food waste as food appropriate for human consumption being discarded. The FAO reported that around one-third of all food produced for human consumption (1.3 billion tons) is lost and wasted across the entire supply chain every year, with an estimated value of US$ 936 billion. The amount of FLW varies between countries and is influenced by factors such as level of income, urbanization, and economic growth. In less-developed countries, FLW occurs mainly in the post-harvest and processing stage, while in developed countries, a significant portion occurs in the consumption stage, driven mostly by consumer behavior, values, and attitudes. FLW has serious environmental, economic, poverty, and natural resource impacts, including contributing to greenhouse gas emissions and decreased availability of food for human consumption. FLW reduction initiatives could improve food prices, efficiency in the supply chain, and access to nutritious foods for vulnerable households. 137:. To support this, the EU Platform on Food Losses and Food Waste was established to help prevent food waste and share best practices. In order to reduce food waste, it's important to accurately account for it throughout the food supply chain. However, there is currently no standardized way to do this. The Joint Research Centre of the European Commission organized a workshop to discuss how to harmonize and improve food waste accounting methodologies. Experts identified several research gaps, such as the need for clear and consistent definitions and terminology, improved data quality, and identifying drivers of food waste. These improvements will help policymakers better design policies to reduce food waste. 309:. Too Good To Go is a mobile application that connects consumers with local food businesses that have surplus food at the end of the day, such as restaurants and grocery stores, and offers the surplus food at a discounted price to reduce food waste. The app enables consumers to browse and purchase surplus food from local businesses, reducing food waste while also saving money. The app is available in several countries and has been successful in reducing food waste while also increasing revenue for local businesses. Overall this app aims to benefit both the consumers and businesses, and it has a positive impact on reducing the amount of food waste. 146:
tonnes is classified as food wastage. This is equivalent to 7% of the total solid food products acquired by homes, restaurants, and shops in Catalonia, which is 34.9 kg per person per year. This amount of food wastage is enough to feed over 500,000 people for a year. Home kitchens are responsible for the majority of food wastage, around 58% (151,800 tonnes), followed by supermarkets and grocery stores (16%), bars and restaurants (12%), retail food sector (9%), institutional catering and restaurant services (4%), and municipal markets (1%).
175:. Restaurants often overproduce food, leading to a surplus of food that goes to waste. For example, set menus at restaurants do not offer choices for the sizes of portions which means consumers may occasionally acquire too much food which goes to waste. In market settings, the majority of food waste is a result of poor management and storage processes. Factors such as inadequate employee training, difficulties in sales forecasting, and duration of fresh products all contribute to food waste in Barcelona's markets. 282:. The goal is to live in a way that helps the environment and doesn't harm it. Including using natural resources wisely and not wasting them. Universities can play an important role in promoting this by teaching students and encouraging healthy habits that support sustainability. This can help create a generation of professionals who are committed to protecting the environment. 24: 220:. Additionally, food production, transportation, and processing require energy, and when food is wasted, the energy used to produce it is also wasted. This leads to unnecessary energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. The emissions generated by food waste in Barcelona has been calculated to be 520,700 tonnes of CO 289:
strived to reduce the amount of food waste generated by restaurants and supermarkets, promote the donation of surplus food to food banks, and encourage consumers to buy only what they need. Additionally, the city supported initiatives to reduce food waste such as home composting and the prevention of
178:
Additionally, consumers often buy more food than they need, and end up throwing away food that goes bad before they have a chance to eat it. Researchers have found that there are a wide range of factors contributing to consumers' behavior regarding food waste in Barcelona including: lack of awareness
109:
While both food loss and food waste have negative environmental and economic impacts, food waste is generally considered to be easily preventable and less justifiable. This is because food waste occurs mainly due to consumer behavior and decisions, whereas food loss is often caused by factors outside
105:
Food waste, on the other hand, refers to food that is discarded or thrown away by consumers, retailers, and food service providers. This can occur due to a variety of reasons such as overproduction, expiration dates, and cosmetic imperfections. Food waste typically occurs in developed countries where
273:
The Spanish government has implemented several initiatives to tackle food waste, such as the establishment of the Circular Economy Spanish Strategy which aims to reduce food waste by 50% by 2030. Additionally, the government has passed recent laws such as a law created in June 2022 to promote taking
191:
procedure has to be a priority. Waste prevention relates to actions taken before the product becomes wasted, which reduces the quantity of waste. The waste prevention hierarchy is the order to reduce the amount of waste being contributed. The preventative measures in order are: prevention; reduction
154:
2010 estimates show that Spain had about 135 kg of food waste per capita, the 17th highest in Europe. However, these numbers have changed significantly in the last decade. According to a 2020 report by the European Union, the average amount of food waste generated per capita in Europe is around
101:
Food loss refers to the decrease in quantity or quality of food that occurs along the food supply chain from production to retail. This can be due to a variety of factors such as poor harvesting techniques, inadequate storage facilities, transportation problems, and market inefficiencies. Food loss
145:
In Catalonia, people consume 3.74 million tonnes of solid food every year, which amounts to 499 kg per person. However, 1.18 million tonnes of food are discarded as waste. 920,577 tonnes include unavoidable waste such as vegetable peels, coffee grounds, and fish bones. The remaining 262,471
200:
Food waste has a significant environmental impact, as it contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, land use, water use, and other environmental problems. When food is wasted, the resources used to produce, transport, and process it, such as land, water, and energy, are also wasted. This leads to
256:
Reducing food waste can help to mitigate these environmental impacts, as it can conserve resources, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and promote sustainable food consumption. This can be achieved through various strategies, such as improving food storage and handling practices, promoting
155:
131 kg per year. Comparatively, Spain was estimated to have 77 kg of food waste per capita, the 18th highest in Europe. However, there is significant variation within Spain, with some regions and cities generating more food waste than others. A 2011 study by the
87:, and it is a major contributor to food waste. Every year, tons of perfectly good food is discarded or thrown away by consumers and businesses, often ending up in landfills and contributing to environmental problems such as greenhouse gas emissions and pollution. 301:
society by promoting sustainable consumption and production practices. In addition, some restaurants in Barcelona have taken steps to reduce food waste by offering smaller portion sizes, using leftover ingredients creatively, and composting food waste.
192:
at source; re-use; recycle; energy recovery; disposal. In the recycle section, there is a hierarchy of subsections: source reduction, feed hungry people, feed animals, industrial uses, composting and finally landfill incineration.
586: 857: 567: 624: 520: 879: 549: 904: 275: 605: 761: 495: 970: 840: 478: 34: 45: 156: 965: 119: 63: 285:
In addition to combat food waste in Barcelona, several initiatives have been put in place on a city level. For example, the city's
102:
typically occurs in developing countries where the infrastructure for food storage, transportation, and processing is inadequate.
279: 816: 743: 248:: Food production also requires water, and when food is wasted, the water used to grow it is also wasted. This can lead to 230:: The production of food requires land, and when food is wasted, the land used to grow it is also wasted. This leads to 208:: When food waste is sent to landfills, it decomposes and releases methane, a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to 134: 717: 172: 654:"A Sum of Incidentals or a Structural Problem? The True Nature of Food Waste in the Metropolitan Region of Barcelona" 179:
of the volume of food waste, percentage of income invested in food, family structure, and expiration date norms.
217: 205: 355: 762:"Food system impacts on biodiversity loss: Three levers for food system transformation in support of nature" 258: 329: 98:
both refer to food that is discarded or not consumed, but they have different meanings and implications.
38:
that states a Knowledge (XXG) editor's personal feelings or presents an original argument about a topic.
880:"A study analyses the perception and knowledge of food sustainability at the University of Barcelona" 459:
Joint Research Centre (European Commission); Caldeira, Carla; Sara, Corrado; Serenella, Sala (2017).
960: 130: 125:
National governments and international entities are introducing policies to reduce food waste. The
95: 293:
There are also several organizations in Barcelona that work to reduce food waste. One example is
262: 305:
One solution at a smaller scale that has been used in many cities across the globe is the app,
474: 441: 423: 239: 224:
emissions, approximately the emissions equivalent to 20,300 cars throughout their useful life.
675: 665: 466: 431: 413: 188: 376: 436: 401: 306: 249: 209: 168: 126: 954: 231: 698:
Understanding food waste behaviours along the food supply chain-a mutilevel approach
235: 696: 298: 724:. Clarity and Leadership for Environmental Awareness and Research at UC Davis 427: 680: 587:"Annual food waste produced per capita in selected countries in Europe 2020" 245: 80: 76: 460: 445: 787: 606:"Supermarkets and charities work together against food waste in Catalonia" 274:
home leftovers and discounting soon-to-expire food stock. Since 2015, the
718:"The Carbon Impact of Food Waste: The Problem With What We're NOT Eating" 418: 227: 159:, found that Catalonia is responsible 14.8% of Spain's total food waste. 670: 653: 402:"Understanding Food Loss and Waste—Why Are We Losing and Wasting Food?" 213: 550:"Food waste: the problem in the EU in numbers [infographic]" 530:. Generalitat de Catalunya Departament de Territori i Sostenibilitat 623:
Generlitat de Catalunya Departament de Territori i Sostenibilitat.
858:"'Number one priority': New Spanish law aims to tackle food waste" 470: 462:
Food waste accounting: methodologies, challenges and opportunities
216:
is about 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide in terms of its
84: 933: 106:
there is an abundance of food and a culture of over-consumption.
17: 400:
Ishangulyyev, Rovshen; Kim, Sanghyo; Lee, Sang (2019-07-29).
129:
has set a target to cut food waste in half by 2030, and the
35:
personal reflection, personal essay, or argumentative essay
797:. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations 294: 41: 841:"Circular Economy Spanish Strategy Executive Summary" 167:
The main causes of this food waste in Barcelona are
133:
has committed to achieving this goal as part of its
265:through education and awareness-raising campaigns. 568:"Food waste and food waste prevention - estimates" 297:, a non-profit organization that aims to create a 276:United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDs) 934:"Declárale la guerra al desperdicio de alimentos" 465:. LU: Publications Office of the European Union. 356:"Why is one-third of our food wasted worldwide?" 905:"Waste Prevention Plan for Barcelona 2012-2020" 259:sustainable agriculture and production methods 336:. Harvard School of Public Health. 2017-04-26 290:food waste in education center dining rooms. 287:Waste Prevention Plan for Barcelona 2012–2020 8: 788:"Water for Sustainable Food and Agriculture" 201:unnecessary environmental impacts, such as: 187:In a way to prevent food waste, a goal of 679: 669: 435: 417: 324: 322: 64:Learn how and when to remove this message 556:. European Parliament. 5 December 2017. 318: 716:Mitloehner, Frank (13 November 2020). 252:and depletion of freshwater resources. 7: 149: 625:"More Responsible Food Consumption" 521:"More Responsible Food Consumption" 604:English, Nell (29 November 2014). 157:Autonomous University of Barcelona 14: 120:Food and Agriculture Organization 695:Diaz Ruiz, Raquel (2018-11-30). 150:Barcelona's comparative position 22: 703:TDX (Tesis Doctorals en Xarxa) 496:"The fight against food waste" 1: 971:Environmental issues in Spain 79:is a coastal city located in 135:Circular Economy Action Plan 354:Quinton, Amy (2019-10-01). 110:of the consumer's control. 987: 914:. Adjuntament de Barcelona 817:"Food waste and recycling" 744:"Food waste and recycling" 652:Diaz-Ruiz, Raquel (2018). 377:"Publication preview page" 912:adjuntament.barcelona.cat 884:Institut de Neurociències 966:Food and the environment 860:. Euronews. 29 July 2022 218:global warming potential 206:Greenhouse gas emissions 96:Food loss and food waste 750:. Catalan Waste Agency. 141:Food waste in Barcelona 91:Food loss vs food waste 44:by rewriting it in an 846:. Gobierno de Espana. 419:10.3390/foods8080297 334:The Nutrition Source 278:has been working on 240:loss of biodiversity 196:Environmental impact 269:Current initiatives 131:European Commission 705:(Doctoral thesis). 671:10.3390/su10103730 664:(10). MDPI: 3730. 554:europarl.europa.eu 46:encyclopedic style 33:is written like a 768:. 3 February 2021 748:www.barcelona.cat 500:www.barcelona.cat 480:978-92-79-77888-9 263:consumer behavior 114:Global food waste 74: 73: 66: 978: 945: 944: 942: 941: 936:. Too Good To Go 930: 924: 923: 921: 919: 909: 901: 895: 894: 892: 891: 876: 870: 869: 867: 865: 854: 848: 847: 845: 837: 831: 830: 828: 827: 821:Sustainable Food 813: 807: 806: 804: 802: 792: 784: 778: 777: 775: 773: 758: 752: 751: 740: 734: 733: 731: 729: 713: 707: 706: 692: 686: 685: 683: 681:20.500.12327/290 673: 649: 643: 642: 640: 638: 629: 620: 614: 613: 601: 595: 594: 582: 576: 575: 564: 558: 557: 546: 540: 539: 537: 535: 525: 517: 511: 510: 508: 506: 491: 485: 484: 456: 450: 449: 439: 421: 397: 391: 390: 388: 387: 373: 367: 366: 364: 363: 351: 345: 344: 342: 341: 326: 189:waste prevention 183:Waste prevention 69: 62: 58: 55: 49: 26: 25: 18: 986: 985: 981: 980: 979: 977: 976: 975: 951: 950: 949: 948: 939: 937: 932: 931: 927: 917: 915: 907: 903: 902: 898: 889: 887: 878: 877: 873: 863: 861: 856: 855: 851: 843: 839: 838: 834: 825: 823: 815: 814: 810: 800: 798: 790: 786: 785: 781: 771: 769: 760: 759: 755: 742: 741: 737: 727: 725: 715: 714: 710: 694: 693: 689: 651: 650: 646: 636: 634: 627: 622: 621: 617: 610:catalannews.com 603: 602: 598: 584: 583: 579: 566: 565: 561: 548: 547: 543: 533: 531: 523: 519: 518: 514: 504: 502: 493: 492: 488: 481: 458: 457: 453: 399: 398: 394: 385: 383: 375: 374: 370: 361: 359: 353: 352: 348: 339: 337: 328: 327: 320: 315: 271: 261:, and changing 223: 198: 185: 173:overconsumption 165: 152: 143: 116: 93: 70: 59: 53: 50: 42:help improve it 39: 27: 23: 12: 11: 5: 984: 982: 974: 973: 968: 963: 953: 952: 947: 946: 925: 896: 871: 849: 832: 808: 779: 753: 735: 708: 687: 658:Sustainability 644: 615: 612:. CatalanNews. 596: 577: 559: 541: 512: 494:Pages, Coral. 486: 479: 451: 392: 368: 346: 317: 316: 314: 311: 307:Too Good To Go 270: 267: 254: 253: 250:water scarcity 243: 225: 221: 210:climate change 197: 194: 184: 181: 169:overproduction 164: 161: 151: 148: 142: 139: 127:United Nations 115: 112: 92: 89: 72: 71: 30: 28: 21: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 983: 972: 969: 967: 964: 962: 959: 958: 956: 935: 929: 926: 913: 906: 900: 897: 885: 881: 875: 872: 859: 853: 850: 842: 836: 833: 822: 818: 812: 809: 796: 789: 783: 780: 767: 766:reliefweb.int 763: 757: 754: 749: 745: 739: 736: 723: 719: 712: 709: 704: 700: 699: 691: 688: 682: 677: 672: 667: 663: 659: 655: 648: 645: 633: 626: 619: 616: 611: 607: 600: 597: 592: 588: 581: 578: 573: 569: 563: 560: 555: 551: 545: 542: 529: 522: 516: 513: 501: 497: 490: 487: 482: 476: 472: 471:10.2760/54845 468: 464: 463: 455: 452: 447: 443: 438: 433: 429: 425: 420: 415: 411: 407: 403: 396: 393: 382: 378: 372: 369: 357: 350: 347: 335: 331: 325: 323: 319: 312: 310: 308: 303: 300: 296: 291: 288: 283: 281: 277: 268: 266: 264: 260: 251: 247: 244: 241: 237: 233: 232:deforestation 229: 226: 219: 215: 211: 207: 204: 203: 202: 195: 193: 190: 182: 180: 176: 174: 170: 162: 160: 158: 147: 140: 138: 136: 132: 128: 123: 121: 113: 111: 107: 103: 99: 97: 90: 88: 86: 82: 78: 68: 65: 57: 47: 43: 37: 36: 31:This article 29: 20: 19: 16: 938:. Retrieved 928: 916:. Retrieved 911: 899: 888:. Retrieved 886:. 2022-12-20 883: 874: 862:. Retrieved 852: 835: 824:. Retrieved 820: 811: 799:. Retrieved 794: 782: 770:. Retrieved 765: 756: 747: 738: 726:. Retrieved 721: 711: 702: 697: 690: 661: 657: 647: 635:. Retrieved 631: 618: 609: 599: 591:statista.com 590: 585:Tiseo, Ian. 580: 572:cc.europa.eu 571: 562: 553: 544: 532:. Retrieved 527: 515: 503:. Retrieved 499: 489: 461: 454: 409: 405: 395: 384:. Retrieved 381:FAODocuments 380: 371: 360:. Retrieved 349: 338:. Retrieved 333: 330:"Food Waste" 304: 292: 286: 284: 272: 255: 236:soil erosion 199: 186: 177: 166: 153: 144: 124: 117: 108: 104: 100: 94: 75: 60: 51: 32: 15: 722:ucdavis.edu 593:. Statista. 574:. eurostat. 961:Food waste 955:Categories 940:2023-03-13 890:2023-03-29 826:2023-03-22 632:gencat.cat 528:gencat.cat 412:(8): 297. 386:2023-03-22 362:2023-03-13 358:. UC Davis 340:2023-03-13 313:References 299:zero waste 54:March 2023 428:2304-8158 246:Water use 81:Catalonia 77:Barcelona 918:14 March 801:10 March 728:13 March 637:24 March 534:25 March 505:19 March 446:31362396 228:Land use 864:1 March 795:fao.org 772:1 March 437:6723314 280:goal 12 214:Methane 40:Please 477:  444:  434:  426:  295:Rezero 238:, and 163:Causes 908:(PDF) 844:(PDF) 791:(PDF) 628:(PDF) 524:(PDF) 406:Foods 85:Spain 920:2023 866:2023 803:2023 774:2023 730:2023 639:2023 536:2023 507:2023 475:ISBN 442:PMID 424:ISSN 171:and 118:The 676:hdl 666:doi 467:doi 432:PMC 414:doi 957:: 910:. 882:. 819:. 793:. 764:. 746:. 720:. 701:. 674:. 662:10 660:. 656:. 630:. 608:. 589:. 570:. 552:. 526:. 498:. 473:. 440:. 430:. 422:. 408:. 404:. 379:. 332:. 321:^ 234:, 212:. 83:, 943:. 922:. 893:. 868:. 829:. 805:. 776:. 732:. 684:. 678:: 668:: 641:. 538:. 509:. 483:. 469:: 448:. 416:: 410:8 389:. 365:. 343:. 242:. 222:2 67:) 61:( 56:) 52:( 48:.

Index

personal reflection, personal essay, or argumentative essay
help improve it
encyclopedic style
Learn how and when to remove this message
Barcelona
Catalonia
Spain
Food loss and food waste
Food and Agriculture Organization
United Nations
European Commission
Circular Economy Action Plan
Autonomous University of Barcelona
overproduction
overconsumption
waste prevention
Greenhouse gas emissions
climate change
Methane
global warming potential
Land use
deforestation
soil erosion
loss of biodiversity
Water use
water scarcity
sustainable agriculture and production methods
consumer behavior
United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDs)
goal 12

Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.

↑