“Time to tackle food waste” says South East Euro MP Sharon Bowles (South East Oxfordshire Liberal Democrats)

South East Oxfordshire Liberal Democrats <info@henleylibdems.org.uk>

“Time to tackle food waste” says South East Euro MP Sharon Bowles

January 18, 2012 11:05 AM
Originally published by Sharon Bowles MEP

The European Parliament will push the European Commission to come forward with a coordinated EU strategy to halve food waste by 2025.

MEPs in Strasbourg will vote on a report tomorrow to improve the efficiency of the food supply chain from the production stage to storage, processing, distribution, management and consumption. It is estimated that almost 50% of edible food gets wasted along the entire food supply chain each year.

Sharon Bowles MEP, who represents South East England in the European Parliament, said:

"It is shocking that almost 90 million tonnes of useable food gets wasted each year while an estimated 79 million people in the EU live beneath the poverty line and around 16 million depend on food aid from charitable institutions.

"At a time when food scarcity is a growing problem we have a moral obligation to cut back on food waste and to make smart decisions to purchase, consume and dispose of food responsibly.

"To improve resource-efficiency at all stages of the supply chain we need both a coordinated EU strategy, as well as sharing of best practices across Member States. Most importantly, however, all players in the food supply chain need to be brought on board and helped to devise guidelines to improve efficiency and minimize waste."

The report also asks the Commission to undertake a detailed analysis of the causes, and economic, social and environmental effects, of the disposal, wastage and land-filling targets by 2014.

ENDS