Slow Food’s contribution
To the zero-draft consultation paper
“Food Losses and Waste in the context of sustainable food systems”
SLOW FOOD’S APPROACH TO FOOD WASTE (question 6)
Reducing food waste is a major challenge and one, which Slow Food is committed to
tackling. Slow Food strongly believes that food losses should be kept to a minimum and
that it is necessary to restore value to food and sacredness to the moment of its
consumption.
In a world where many people do not have enough to eat and resources are limited,
prevention and reduction of food losses and food waste must imperatively be given a key
place on the political agenda. The system in which we find ourselves as consumers,
producers or intermediaries is founded on a mechanism of waste and overproduction and
on the rapid selling off of stock to put new products on the market. In other words, waste
is no accident; it is organic to the system. World hunger has to be beaten and the war on
waste can and must become the emblem of the battle. It is necessary to restore value to
the concept of food and, once and for all, stop seeing it as a good (Slow Food, The central
role of food, Torino 2012).
Slow Food always frames the fight against food losses and waste in the broader objective
of improving the sustainability of the food system.
Reducing food waste is one way to raise awareness on sustainable production and
consumption as drivers of sustainable food systems.
The issue of food waste has to be tackled throughout the whole food supply chain.
See enclosed the “Slow Food contribution to the debate on the sustainability of the food
system” (annex 1) launched in November 28, 2013 on the occasion of the conference
“Towards an EU Common Sustainable Food Policy: wishful thinking or reality” that we
organised at the European Parliament in Brussels. One of the focuses of the conference
was food waste. The topic was discussed by Chantal Bruetschy (European Commission, DG
SANCO) and Tristram Stuart (Feeding the 5000).
About FEED and BIO ENERGY
Turning rejected, unfinished, damaged food, mainly from industry into feed can help to
reduce food waste within the system we currently have. Regulated and monitored ways of
doing this ensuring health protection are necessary.
The risk is to create a value market for damaged, rejected, surplus food and, consequently,
this might even be an incentive for producing more since all surplus finds its way into a
value market.
An ethical approach is to produce as much as food as there is needed for humans and their
health. Slow Food pursues this approach by raising consumer awareness and encouraging
not to waste food.
From an ethical point of view, turning food waste into bio energy is as problematic as
turning food waste into feed. In both cases a proper definition of food waste is urgently
Slow Food
Piazza XX Settembre, 5 - 12042 Bra (Cn) – Italy
P. IVA 02743970044 - C.F. 91019770048
Tel. ++39 0172 41.96.11 - Fax ++39 0172 41.97.55
E-mail: international@slowfood.com - Internet Site: www.slowfood.com
necessary. It should be avoided that turning food waste into feed or bio energy creates
value markets with attractive prices for waste and does in the end not necessarily
contribute to the reduction of food waste but ‘fuels’ the ‘creation’ of waste.
SLOW FOOD IN ACTION (question 3)
Over the last years, Slow Food has organized many small and large-scale awarenessraising events (e.g. the Disco soup), implemented and coordinated projects (Presidia,
Gardens, etc.), and launched collaborations with other groups (e.g. with Feeding the 5000,
Last Minute Market Ltd, EU FUSIONS project) to raise awareness on food waste and
propose practical solutions to the issue at producer, retailer and consumer levels.
In particular, Slow Food has developed two sets of tools:
1. tools targeted at producers, retailers and consumers aimed at reducing either food
losses and food waste by shortening the food supply chain
2. co-producers-oriented tools aimed at reducing food waste by changing household
consumption patterns
1. Shortening the food supply chain
Slow Food promotes and practices local food supply, purchase and procurement. Local
food and short supply chains help consumers to understand and learn about origin,
production, distribution and value of food. Recognising the value of food is a significant
factor for avoiding food waste. Strengthening the short food supply chains, even with
financial incentives seems paramount if the aim of consumer education is to be met. Short
food supply chain seems to be the most effective aspect of reducing food waste. Everything
that has been produced for human consumption by agriculture should be locally made
available to consumer. Therefore the retailers should be selling much more local food,
including ‘misfits’.
To bring local products onto the tables of schools, nurseries, hospitals, kindergartens and
alike would provide excellent food value in terms of nutritional value, the short supply
chain would help to save transport costs, CO2.
Civil society can encourage and educate consumers to buy directly however governments
have to encourage the retailers to make these products available and to sell them. In order
to save food waste consumers have to get access to this kind of products more easily.
On the producers side, Slow Food offers technical support to the Presidia, namely groups
of small scale producers who safeguard native breeds and local plant varieties, engage in
quality production at risk of extinction, protect unique regions and ecosystems, recover
traditional processing methods. There are more than 250 Slow Food Presidia in Europe
involving more than 1600 small-scale producers: fishers, butchers, shepherds,
cheesemakers, bakers and pastry chefs. Slow Food technical support to Presidia aims to
address issues relating to food processing, also to minimise production and postproduction losses.
More info: www.slowfoodfoundation.com/pagine/eng/presidi/cerca_presidi.lasso?id_pg=11
Slow Food
Piazza XX Settembre, 5 - 12042 Bra (Cn) - Italy
Tel. ++39 0172 41.96.11 - Fax ++39 0172 41.97.55
E-mail: international@slowfood.com - Internet Site: www.slowfood.com
Through the Alliance Between Chefs and Small-Scale Producer, Slow Food helps link
the Presidia and local small-scale producers to local restaurants, so as to facilitate the
timely delivery of products and thereby avoid post-production losses.
More info: www.slowfoodfoundation.com/alliance
Presidium products are also sold at Slow Food Earth Markets, community-run markets
where local producers offer healthy, quality food directly to consumers at fair prices and
guarantee environmentally sustainable methods. Earth Markets are run so as to minimise
environmental impact, for instance with waste reduction, biodegradable consumables,
recycling, and energy-saving measures. Workshops are also organised at the markets to
raise consumer awareness on the importance of eating local seasonal products and reduce
food waste.
More info: www.earthmarkets.net/
In 2012, Slow Food launched the first edition of the SlowPack prize 2012, held as part of
Salone del Gusto 2012, open exclusively to the food producers both from Italy and the rest
of the world who exhibit their products at the event. This contest aims to encourage
producers to reflect on the impact that non-eco-friendly packaging has on the
environment and on the flavor, aroma, and safety of their products, while awarding those
who use environmentally friendly packaging.
Slow Food launched the idea of a label that goes beyond the detailing the legally required
information, and tells the story behind the product. Slow Food first talked about the
narrative label at Cheese 2011, and in 2012 the first 70 labels for Italian and
international Presidia were created. A narrative label does not replace mandatory labels,
but supplements it by providing additional information regarding varieties and breeds,
cultivation and processing methods, areas of origin, animal welfare, and advice on storage
and use.
More info: www.slowfoodfoundation.com/narrative-labels
2. Awareness raising
Slow Food encourages everyone to become a 'co-producer', a responsible consumer who
chooses to enjoy quality food produced in harmony with the environment and local
cultures. Slow Food coined the term co-producer to highlight the power of the consumers.
When they choose their food they can go beyond a passive role to take an active interest in
those who produce their food, how they produce it and the problems they face in doing so.
In this way, they become part of the production process and they actively contribute to the
reduction of food losses and food waste.
Co-producers support local farmers, fishermen, breeders, cheesemakers etc, not only
purchasing their products but also tapping into the wealth of information and advice that
they can offer us. In this way we can learn more about quality and increase our
understanding of what a healthier, tastier and more responsible diet and consumption
mean in our region.
Direct contact between consumers and producers is one of the best ways for this to be
able to happen, through farmers' markets, direct farm sales and Community Supported
Agriculture schemes. When direct contact is not possible, consumers can try to seek out
Slow Food
Piazza XX Settembre, 5 - 12042 Bra (Cn) - Italy
Tel. ++39 0172 41.96.11 - Fax ++39 0172 41.97.55
E-mail: international@slowfood.com - Internet Site: www.slowfood.com
retailers who stock local produce and can talk in an informed way about the food they sell
(its origin, cultivation and production techniques etc.).
Overall, more than a hundred grassroots events involved citizens and consumers in
Europe. These events included conferences in collaborations with other civil society
organisations and institutions, practical workshops for adults and school pupils, open-air
free meals prepared with products discarded by markets and restaurants, film festivals.
The following are examples of the events organised:
“Disco soup” in Germany, France, Greece and the Netherlands: hundreds of
volunteers, mostly young people, collect vegetables that farmers can’t sell because
they do not fit the market standards or such that are discarded by markets and
restaurants. They rinse, chop and cook them in soups and salads, to the sound of
disco music. The free meal is enjoyed together by the participants. See Guidelines
attached (annex 2). Consider it is still a draft not for diffusion.
Slow Food Day, Italy: more than 300 Italian convivia (Slow Food local chapters)
host free events in piazzas across the country such as markets, tastings, meetings
with producers and educational workshops. In 2013 Slow Food Day focused on
raising awareness on food waste – and associated waste of energy, water, health
and resources.
The 2012 edition of the international Salone del Gusto and Terra Madre world meeting of
food communities, held in Turin (Italy), hosted also conferences and practical
workshops on food waste (how to reduce waste in the kitchen by reusing as much as
possible, looking at leftovers and scraps that are often discarded. Participants learn
recipes, tips and ideas, based on a mix of creativity and tradition, for preparing dishes that
are just as good as the originals).
Furthermore, Slow Food Italy published 7 booklets on meat consumption, food waste (in
collaboration with the Italian Agriculture Ministry), fish and aquaculture, legumes, food
and health, food choices and climate change, sustainable food shopping. Another booklet
on food waste, “When you shop, use your head!”, is available in 5 languages (English,
French, Italian, Latvian and Spanish) and was published in the framework of the project
4Cities4Dev, funded by the European Union.
Our partners
In 2010, within the “Torino spirtualità” festival, a conversation on food waste between
Carlo Petrini, Slow Food president and founder, and Tristram Stuart, has been organised.
At the end, followed a leftovers dinner for thousand people in Torino. Currently, Slow
Food is among the organisers of a “Feeding the 5000” lunch in Brussels together with
Tristram Stuart.
Slow Food collaborates with Last Minute Market Ltd. to address large-scale retailers in
Italy. Last Minute Market Ltd. is a spin-off of the University of Bologna that enhances the
recovery of unsold goods in favour of charities, offers services to enterprises and
institutions in order to prevent and reduce waste production at its origin.
Slow Food
Piazza XX Settembre, 5 - 12042 Bra (Cn) - Italy
Tel. ++39 0172 41.96.11 - Fax ++39 0172 41.97.55
E-mail: international@slowfood.com - Internet Site: www.slowfood.com
Currently, Slow Food has been involved in the stakeholders dialogue launched in the
frame of the EU FUSIONS project (Food Use for Social Innovation by Optimising Waste
Prevention Strategies).
Good practice by ‘Mundraub’ and ‘Marmelade für alle’ (Jam for all’) Slow Food Partners in
Germany: young people collecting fruit, nuts, berries and herbs from trees along
roadsides, from neglected orchards and making cider, jam and other products from it;
there is a number of small businesses, mainly start-ups by young people using ‘culinary
misfits’ or fruit and veg that isn’t ‘fit for the market’ because of its looks and size, but
perfect in terms of food, nutritional value; also many volunteers’ activities, e.g. ‘garden
associations’, working with children, schools using surplus of fruit & veg for preserving
and selling it within schools or local food systems.
Slow Food network
Within the Slow Food network two national associations, namely Slow Food Deutschland
and Slow Food Italia, and the Slow Food Youth Network singled out in the last years for
their commitment to fight food waste. Find below a short description of their main
achievements.
Slow Food Deutschland
In late 2011 Slow Food Germany activated its initiatives on the global issue of food waste
and loss. Starting in September, the first action day “Teller statt Tonne” (“on the plate, not
in the garbage bin”) combined a free meal with a conference on the FWL issue in a Berlin
public square, attracting around a thousand people. Vegetables, fruit and bread used for
the preparation of the meal were all “not suitable for the market”, either too small or too
big dimensioned, expired since a few days but still edible. The goal was to raise public
awareness on this topic and bring together consumers, sustainability oriented
organisations and institutions to find possible solutions. In January 2012 in support of the
big public demonstration on the CAP called “Wir haben’s satt!” (“We’re fed up!, around 20
000 people attending), a first “Schnippeldisko” (“chopping/dicing disco”) was organised
by the Slow Food youth network in Berlin. “Non marketable” vegetables were collected
from organic farmers around the city in a city farmers’ market hall on an early evening,
then rinsed and chopped by volunteers in order to cook in a soup. The chopping action
was combined with electronic music dj sets and attracted around 300 people, mostly - but
not exclusively – young people, the majority of whom aged between 16 and 35 years old.
The format of “Teller statt Tonne” and “Schnippeldisko” were successful consumer’s
advocacy models. They furthermore represented a direct support for the farmers and
attracted the interest of institutional and other non governmental stakeholders. “Teller
statt Tonne” gave birth to the collaboration on the national campaign “Zu gut für die
Tonne” (meaning, “too good for the garbage bin”) started from the German Ministry for
Food, Agriculture and Consumer’s Protection as part of the German governments attempt
to cut food waste figures in Germany according to the set EU targets. The Schnippeldisko
was replicated during the summer of 2012 (‘Disco Soups’) not only in German cities but
all through the international Slow Food young network in France, Greece and the
Netherlands.
Slow Food
Piazza XX Settembre, 5 - 12042 Bra (Cn) - Italy
Tel. ++39 0172 41.96.11 - Fax ++39 0172 41.97.55
E-mail: international@slowfood.com - Internet Site: www.slowfood.com
A specific section on the webpage of Slow Food Germany (www.slowfood.de) was created
on food waste and loss and an informative leaflet with practical advice how to reduce food
waste was printed. Furthermore, Slow Food Deutschland started in 2013 an educational
project, in order to create food waste activities in primary and secondary schools and a
companion for the Schnippeldisko was produced.
All through 2012 and 2013 numerous activities around FWL – large scale with each 1500
to 2000 people involved, as well as local ones with hundreds of people - were put in place,
involving several thousands of people in all corners of the German Republic.
Slow Food Italia
On May 25, 2013 more than 300 Italian Slow Food convivia hosted free events in piazzas
across the country such as markets, tastings, meetings with producers and educational
workshops to celebrate the Slow Food Day. This third national Slow Food Day was focused
on raising awareness of food waste – and associated waste of energy, water, health and
resources.
Slow Food Italia has published, in collaboration with the Italian Ministry of Environment,
the booklet “Il nostro spreco quotidiano”
(www.slowfood.com/sloweurope/filemanager/guide/sprechi.pdf) addressed to
consumers and the document “Towards a qualitative definition of waste” (Verso una
definizione qualitativa dello spreco) stressing the difference between the qualitative
definition based on the distinction between food losses and waste and the qualitative
definition based on the assumption of food as a common good. See document attached
(annex 3).
In collaboration with NextdoorHelp, SF Italy launched the first Italian food-sharing
platform to fight against food waste while at the same time socialising with the
neighbours.
In addition to various ad-hoc conferences and Disco salad events (the Italian version of the
disco soup), it has developed a new Master of Taste on “leftovers cooking” and has
recently been invited by the Italian Ministry of Environment to join the task force on food
waste to work on the National Plan for food waste prevention.
October 16, 2013: Slow Food Youth Network contribution to fight food waste
October 16 was World Food Day, an event celebrated annually to mark the day that the UN
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) was founded. Every year the event has an official
theme - in 2013 it was Sustainable Food Systems for Food Security and Nutrition. With this
in mind, different groups from the growing global movement against food waste decided
to come together and use the day to draw attention to one of the food system’s biggest
failures: In a world in which around 870 million people are still chronically
undernourished, huge volumes of edible food continue to be thrown away every day.
Food waste occurs at every stage of the food chain, but a significant amount occurs at
source. Due to strict cosmetic requirements, reflecting the food industry’s idea of how fruit
and vegetables should look, many products never leave the farm, for example over-sized
Slow Food
Piazza XX Settembre, 5 - 12042 Bra (Cn) - Italy
Tel. ++39 0172 41.96.11 - Fax ++39 0172 41.97.55
E-mail: international@slowfood.com - Internet Site: www.slowfood.com
melons, wonky carrots or curvy cucumbers.
Luckily however, due to the growing number of organizations and campaigns working on
the issue of food waste, awareness is growing and habits are changing. In recent months,
one event in particular has captured the imagination of people around the world: Disco
Soup.
Disco Soup, with its roots in Slow Food Youth Network Deutschland (Schnippel Disko),
sees people, young and old, come together in public places to chop vegetables sourced
from local farms and markets that would otherwise have been wasted; often in huge
quantities, always to music. Soups and salads are then prepared and distributed free to the
general public. The events have been going from strength to strength with people around
the world armed with chopping boards, peelers, pots, pans and disco beats showing that
the best thing to do with food that would otherwise have gone to waste is to eat it! Recent
highlights include New York, Amsterdam (Disco Soep), Nantes (Disco Soupe), and last
week, during Slow Food’s AsiO Gusto, in Namyangju, South Korea (Yori Gamu).
This World Food Day, for the first time, Slow Food Youth Network, Youth Food Movement
Nederland, DAMn Food Waste, Disco Soupe, and Feeding the 5000, teamed up for an
exciting collaboration to organize simultaneous events, in different cities for what became
known as Disco Anti Food Waste Day!
The collaboration was a huge success, with events organized in Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada,
the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Japan, Luxembourg, Macedonia and the
Netherlands - reaching a wide audience, the media and even politicians. YFM
Rotterdam took part in a record breaking event, cooking continuously for 38 hours,
serving 800 people with food that would have gone to waste; while Slow Food Youth in
Prague met with students to demonstrate how to easily cook a healthy and tasty meal on
just one hob. Meanwhile in Mexico, the Slow Food Network was invited to celebrate World
Food Day together with the FAO. In Brussels, Feeding the 5000 used the occasion to
officially launch their international campaign against food waste.
Slow Food
Piazza XX Settembre, 5 - 12042 Bra (Cn) - Italy
Tel. ++39 0172 41.96.11 - Fax ++39 0172 41.97.55
E-mail: international@slowfood.com - Internet Site: www.slowfood.com