House of Lords launches EU food waste inquiry

The sub-committee on agriculture, fisheries, environment and energy of the House of Lords is seeking written evidence by September 27 2013 on how best to approach food waste, how to define food waste and the feasibility of monitoring the problem.

Responses on other factors, including suggestions of food waste causes and implications, are also welcomed.

With public hearings due to be held from October to December this year, the committee intends to scrutinise what progress the European Commission has made towards halving wasted food in Europe by 2020. It will report its findings and recommendations to the House in late March 2014.

Sub-committee chair Baroness Scott of Needham Market said: It is shocking to think that 89 million tonnes of food is wasted in Europe ever year. That amounts to 180kg of food through away by every man, woman and child across the EU.

The European Commission has set an ambitious target to reduce food waste. Reducing 89 million tonnes by half by 2020 would be a massive achievement. It remains to be seen, however, whether it can live up to that ambition.

CIWM

Responding to the inquiry, Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CWIM) chief executive Steve Lee said: “Food waste and its prevention has become a growing issue, in terms of food security, the environmental cost of wastage and the need to engage with every link in the food chain from field to fork. CIWM will raise the importance of efficient and effective food waste management, including its collection, treatment and markets for the outputs from these processes.”

The announcement follows the start of the European Commissions own consultation on how to achieve sustainability across food production and consumption in Europe (see letsrecycle.com story).

Based on the Commissions Roadmap to a Resource Efficient Europe, the Sustainability of the Food System consultation will run until October 1 and welcomes views from European citizens, organisations and public authorities on how to curtail the growing problem.

Respondents are asked their thoughts on priorities for action, how to measure the impact of food production and what policies should be implemented to meet these challenges.

It is predicted that at the current rate, food wasted in the EU could rise to 126 million tonnes per year by 2020. The findings of the consultation will be published in early 2014.