amazing amounts of food wasted but used in a good way

[Chasingmytail]

Im not a big fan of food banks as a way of feeding those in need but I do follow these people on FB. I am gobsmacked by the amounts of deliveries these people are receiving over the the few days. I'm shocked by all this food that is over produced and what farmers are paid for it to be given away free. When you see all this veg dumped. Perfectly edible food - carbon footprint, road miles, packaging just to get to the supermarket then sent all the way to Leeds to be given away free. Anyone can go here and just ask for donations!

https://www.facebook.com/TheRealJunkFoodProject/?hc_ref=NEWSFEED

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/09/21/look-inside-the-uks-first-food-waste-supermarket/

Obviously, the shops can afford to ditch over drastically reducing? Or is the over ordering and over stacking the price we pay - waste over quality.

Dont get me know I think this is a great project but feel that is not the way forward in feeding the world. While some people pay full price others are getting it for free! We def need to alter the way we produce food if this kind of food waste is going to become the norm.

The facts about food waste

UK supermarkets throw away at least 115,000 tonnes of perfectly good food every year

DID YOU KNOW...
Almost 50% of the total amount of food thrown away in the UK comes from our homes. We throw away 7 million tonnes of food and drink from our homes every year in the UK, and more than half of this is food and drink we could have eaten.

Wasting this food costs the average household £470 a year, rising to £700 for a family with children, the equivalent of around £60 a month.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
If we all stop wasting food that could have been eaten, the benefit to the planet would be the equivalent of taking 1 in 4 cars off the road.

 

[pine_guy]

The last paragraph Highlights a point I made a while back on another thread. There isn't a shortage of food to feed the world, but there is a shortage of people able to pay the cost of production to feed themselves. Be that by their own doing or external effects like war etc.

 

[ThatsSomeSheep]

The last paragraph Highlights a point I made a while back on another thread. There isn't a shortage of food to feed the world, but there is a shortage of people able to pay the cost of production to feed themselves. Be that by their own doing or external effects like war etc.

To be pedantic - perhaps it is not the cost of production that people can't afford to pay?

Most likely it is the supposed "value added" by excessive processing and packaging?

TSS

 

[Pasty]

If everyone had a labrador like me there would be no food waste at all.

 

[DrWazzock]

The figures on the face of it are quite concerning, but ultimately it's a system that's evolved to suit the way society works at present and it does work quite well. A huge choice of fresh products readily available to a high standard for the masses at an affordable price.

Producing an amount to give zero wastage would inevitably mean shortages of certain items, queues and lack of availability at times or a highly managed inflexible system akin to war time rationing.

As it is, supermarket supply purchasing software does try to minismise waste, but it isn't always possible to get it spot on. Perhaps as more data is gathered as to our shopping requirements, then supply and demand can be more nearly matched.

However, in a bumper year of production, I don't see how consumption can be increased to match demand. There will be inevitable waste somewhere along the supply chain.

And as long as "wasted" food either goes to the needy or is recycled to retrieve the inputs, then I can't think of a better system.

It could be much much worse.

Personally I have noticed that our local COOP runs with shortages, while Tescos never seems to sell out of anything. Maybe the COOP wastes less, but I know that an empty shelf and the need for another trip is quite annoying.

The fact that a large proportion of the worlds population can't afford enough food in a completely different matter, most of it caused by poor management and evilness.

 

[Pasty]

Which is where the 'feed the world' message falls to pieces because farming organisations will use it to justify anything. We must protect this or that product because we need to feed 50 zillion people by 2050. No you don't. You have no intention of feeding them. They are starving now and they will starve then. Why are people starving in the world today when we throw food away and how is that going to change in the future? Until that question is answered there is no argument to up production at all. In fact, quite the opposite and we would all be better off.

 

[DrWazzock]

Until the poor people of the world have stable competent governments then they have an uphill battle to achieve any sort of standard of living. It's well within their own capabilities and resources if only they had a chance to work unhindered by corruption politics and banditry.

Sending food aid is a worthy emergency measure but that is all it is. People need to be able to produce their own food supplies where possible. Even the deserts could be regreened if only the will and management was there.

It would not be healthy on many levels for us to intensify production here to "feed the world". Production needs to be worldwide, spreading risk, ownership, load on the environment and depletion of resources.

 

[wr.]

If everyone had a labrador like me there would be no food waste at all.

I'm shocked. I honestly didn't realise you were a Labrador, Pasty.

 

[matthew]

I'm shocked. I honestly didn't realise you were a Labrador, Pasty.

Writes well doesn't he? Obviously a well trained variety.
Wot colour though?

I've just stripped the turkey carcase. Curry today (and two bags for the freezer) Carcase now simmering for stock, then will be hung out for the birds to finish off. Collie (who doesn't write) has spare turkey skin and cats have the shredded bits. Nowt left here.

 

[Henarar]

 

[matthew]

Love it. @Henarar !!!

 

[Kidds]

I'm shocked. I honestly didn't realise you were a Labrador, Pasty.

Really? I have had my suspicions for a while but thought it rude to say anything. It was that "gate at the top, middle or bottom" question that made my mind up.

 

[MV2]

We have a few farmers down here that put food waste bins outside for collection by the council
I eat all my food and waste nowt

 

[yellow belly]

Let's get some perspective

What tonnage of food is used every year
16000000 tonnes wheat
6000000 tonnes potatoes
Not got the fresh veg carrots Bananas

110000 tonnes is not that big a percentage but there should be no waste in a perfect system but with a low proportion of peoples weekly total income spent on actual raw food it would be impossible to macchiato consumption with supply

 

[Pasty]

Writes well doesn't he? Obviously a well trained variety.
Wot colour though?

I've just stripped the turkey carcase. Curry today (and two bags for the freezer) Carcase now simmering for stock, then will be hung out for the birds to finish off. Collie (who doesn't write) has spare turkey skin and cats have the shredded bits. Nowt left here.

Dunno, Great, great, great grandad apparently went to the USA for a month or so and came back in a hurry. 'His' boy Charles isn't quite the pure white Englishman according to the photos I have so I would suggest I am a bit of a cross breed, as I suspect are most (all) Brits. Hybrid vigour and all that.

 

[wr.]

My grandmother always said, "Better belly bust than good food waste." And there was no spare meat on her because she worked so bloody hard.
My wife has a cousin who has enough meat off their turkey for Christmas dinner and the rest goes in the bin. She does the same with the Sunday roast too.
That really is criminal

 

[wr.]

Dunno, Great, great, great grandad apparently went to the USA for a month or so and came back in a hurry. 'His' boy Charles isn't quite the pure white Englishman according to the photos I have so I would suggest I am a bit of a cross breed, as I suspect are most (all) Brits. Hybrid vigour and all that.

Not me Fido, I'm all Welsh

 

[Pasty]

Not me Fido, I'm all Welsh

Get a DNA test, you might find the 'Welsh' gene. Or you might out you're from Portugal or something. I would love to know myself.

 

[Chasingmytail]

If everyone had a labrador like me there would be no food waste at all.

No food waste here either, the freezer saves all waste. The cats have the meat bones, the hens have the food waste, our house cow has the veg tops, the JR has a tiny bit of food waste, the children arent fussy, and I dont buy crap. I cant remember throwing any good food out. Best before dates have become bible to some which is absolutely criminal when householders throw out carrots because the bag says so.

 

[Chasingmytail]

My grandmother always said, "Better belly bust than good food waste." And there was no spare meat on her because she worked so bloody hard.
My wife has a cousin who has enough meat off their turkey for Christmas dinner and the rest goes in the bin. She does the same with the Sunday roast too.
That really is criminal

We paid a fortune for our turkey I stripped ever piece of meat off it. I reckon we served 14 meals from it so I have no qualms on the hefty price tag. Finished it tonight with the Christmas day left overs - was a hit and for me no cooking - hooray! The more you pay for food the more respect you have for it. Cheap food means more waste.