What is waste?
The word waste is defined as the group of the alimentary products which lost commercial value and products that are thrown away by the agri-food chain.
However they still could be destined to the human consumption.
They're perfectly usable products, but no more marketable, and they're are bound to be thrown away and disposed, given that there's not a possible alternative use.
Food waste is a phenomenon that has been extremely understimated for a long time.
During the last years, owing to the global economic crisis, the price volatility regarding agricultural products and the growing danger for the climate change, the attention on this problem has become more and more influent above all because of the raw material waste and the energy resources linked to it.
The analysis realized in 2011 by FAO underlines that global food waste is 1.3 billion tons per year, which is one-third of world production of food destined to the human consumption.
Meanwhile another research (Smil, 2010) shows that only the 43% of the caloric equivalent of grown products for alimentary use in the world is directly consumed by humans.
Moreover it's important to distinguish:
However they still could be destined to the human consumption.
They're perfectly usable products, but no more marketable, and they're are bound to be thrown away and disposed, given that there's not a possible alternative use.
Food waste is a phenomenon that has been extremely understimated for a long time.
During the last years, owing to the global economic crisis, the price volatility regarding agricultural products and the growing danger for the climate change, the attention on this problem has become more and more influent above all because of the raw material waste and the energy resources linked to it.
The analysis realized in 2011 by FAO underlines that global food waste is 1.3 billion tons per year, which is one-third of world production of food destined to the human consumption.
Meanwhile another research (Smil, 2010) shows that only the 43% of the caloric equivalent of grown products for alimentary use in the world is directly consumed by humans.
Moreover it's important to distinguish:
- FOOD LOSSES: they're all the products wasted at the beginning of the agri-food chain, in particular during seeding, culture, harvest, treatment, conservation and first agricultural transformation.
- FOOD WASTE: they're all the wastes that come out during industrial transformation, distribution and final consumption.
How much we think we waste?
This graphic shows us that in the world the 57% of people claims they hardly ever throw away leftovers or gone bad food, the 28% less than once a week, the 15% at least once a week.
What do we throw away?
Roughly one third of the food produced in the world for human consumption every year — approximately 1.3 billion tonnes — gets lost or wasted. Per capita waste by consumers is between 95-115 kg a year in Europe and North America . (Data FAO)
Among the fresh or uncooked foods thrown into the world stand out: fruit (51,2%) and vegetables (41,2%), cheese (30,3%) and fresh bread (27,8%), followed by milk (25,2%), yogurt (24,4%) and cold cuts (24,4%); as regards cooked food, the percentages drop considerably: in this case pasta (9,1%), ready meals (7,9%) and precooked foods are especially thrown away.
what is water footprint?
In 2002 AY Hoekstra from UNESCO -IHE introduced the concept of water footprint as an alternative indicator of water's use.
The water footprint, therefore, is an indicator of the freshwater's consumption and pollution, directly and indirectly by the producer or by the consumer.
Water footprint of a person , of a community or of a company is defined as the total water volume used to produce services, measured in terms of water volumes consumed (evaporated or incorporated in a product) and polluted in time unit.
In the definiton of water footprint importance is also given to the geographic locations in which the water is found.
The overall estimate of water footprint is the result of addition of three components:
-Blue water: it is referred to the withdrawal of superficial and underground water used to agricultural, domestic and industrial purposes
-Green water: it is the volume of the rainwater that it's attributed to the evapo-transpired water for an agrical use.
-Gray water: it represents the ability of the polluted water measured as the volume of the water necessary to dilute the contaminants so that the quality of water can return to be above the standards of quality
The use of the three components of virtual water has different impacts on the hydrological cycle.
For instance, the consumption of green water has a less invasive impact on the enviromental equilibria than the consumption of blue water.
The water footprint, therefore, offers a better and wider perspective regarding the influence of the producer and of the consumer on the use of freshwater.
The water footprint, therefore, is an indicator of the freshwater's consumption and pollution, directly and indirectly by the producer or by the consumer.
Water footprint of a person , of a community or of a company is defined as the total water volume used to produce services, measured in terms of water volumes consumed (evaporated or incorporated in a product) and polluted in time unit.
In the definiton of water footprint importance is also given to the geographic locations in which the water is found.
The overall estimate of water footprint is the result of addition of three components:
-Blue water: it is referred to the withdrawal of superficial and underground water used to agricultural, domestic and industrial purposes
-Green water: it is the volume of the rainwater that it's attributed to the evapo-transpired water for an agrical use.
-Gray water: it represents the ability of the polluted water measured as the volume of the water necessary to dilute the contaminants so that the quality of water can return to be above the standards of quality
The use of the three components of virtual water has different impacts on the hydrological cycle.
For instance, the consumption of green water has a less invasive impact on the enviromental equilibria than the consumption of blue water.
The water footprint, therefore, offers a better and wider perspective regarding the influence of the producer and of the consumer on the use of freshwater.
WHAT IS CARBON FOOTPRINT?
The carbon footprint and the computer of greenhouse gas emissions and derives . There are three types of "carbon footprint":
1. The first one derives from the measurement of carbon dioxide emitted from the combustion of fossil fuels such as coal, oil or gas formed by animals and vegetable organisms remained in the underground for a long time. It depends on the energy consumption of the companies for their own work;
2. The second one is the measure of the indirect emissions of greenhouse gases and it is the main component;
3 . The third one is the result of the whole life cycle of products and materials, from the extraction of these to the final disposal of the product.
The Carbon footprint is expressed in kg CO2 (CO2 equivalent).
Learning how to calculate this from our food consumption is the first step towards a life with a bigger amount of low emissions. The carbon dioxide is the main greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming and the increase in the atmosphere has caused an increase in enviromental temperatures of our planet. It would therefore be preferable to change attitude starting from simple daily choices, we can in fact, prefer for example, trains to cars or any other public transport to move around.
1. The first one derives from the measurement of carbon dioxide emitted from the combustion of fossil fuels such as coal, oil or gas formed by animals and vegetable organisms remained in the underground for a long time. It depends on the energy consumption of the companies for their own work;
2. The second one is the measure of the indirect emissions of greenhouse gases and it is the main component;
3 . The third one is the result of the whole life cycle of products and materials, from the extraction of these to the final disposal of the product.
The Carbon footprint is expressed in kg CO2 (CO2 equivalent).
Learning how to calculate this from our food consumption is the first step towards a life with a bigger amount of low emissions. The carbon dioxide is the main greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming and the increase in the atmosphere has caused an increase in enviromental temperatures of our planet. It would therefore be preferable to change attitude starting from simple daily choices, we can in fact, prefer for example, trains to cars or any other public transport to move around.
Why waste?
In Europe, an estimated 89 million tons of food are discarded every year. The food is wasted at all stages of the food chain, from the farm,
producers, workers, retailers, restaurateurs and consumers.
Similarly, the waste reduction also requires changes in consumer's behavior.
In wealthy nations of Europe, a large portion of wasted food is thrown away by households (37 million tons).
There are surveys on food waste across the Europe.
Many data come from the United Kingdom, which estimates that 60% wastage could be avoided in families, which becomes an average of £ 480 (€ 565) saving for family every year.
Moreover, the estimated environmental savings are equivalent to remove from 1 to 5 machines from the road.
Why is the food wasted?
There are many explanations as to why food is wasted; these differ between sectors of the food chain. The standardized data on food waste are lacking, particularly in the manufacturing sector and in that of sale.
Even food waste in agriculture deserves further research.
Most of the difference in the production is seemingly inevitable: many wastes are non-transferable or derive from technical factors that lead to overproduction, deformed or damaged products.
Regarding families and restaurant kitchens, people mainly get rid of food because it has been left in the plate, it has been leftovered after
cooking or it has not be used in time. The familiar causes of waste depend on: the weather, the social-economic status, the culture, for example some people are used to preparing more food than the food needed.
producers, workers, retailers, restaurateurs and consumers.
Similarly, the waste reduction also requires changes in consumer's behavior.
In wealthy nations of Europe, a large portion of wasted food is thrown away by households (37 million tons).
There are surveys on food waste across the Europe.
Many data come from the United Kingdom, which estimates that 60% wastage could be avoided in families, which becomes an average of £ 480 (€ 565) saving for family every year.
Moreover, the estimated environmental savings are equivalent to remove from 1 to 5 machines from the road.
Why is the food wasted?
There are many explanations as to why food is wasted; these differ between sectors of the food chain. The standardized data on food waste are lacking, particularly in the manufacturing sector and in that of sale.
Even food waste in agriculture deserves further research.
Most of the difference in the production is seemingly inevitable: many wastes are non-transferable or derive from technical factors that lead to overproduction, deformed or damaged products.
Regarding families and restaurant kitchens, people mainly get rid of food because it has been left in the plate, it has been leftovered after
cooking or it has not be used in time. The familiar causes of waste depend on: the weather, the social-economic status, the culture, for example some people are used to preparing more food than the food needed.
Another important aspect and extremely close to families is the zero kmfood: in fact they're able to decrease the waste
above all during the transport of the products.
Km zero food, also called short supply chain, comprises local products sold close to the place of production.
The so-called Farmer's markets are markets and/or shops where farmers directly meet the consumer selling their products without intermediaries and so without further increase on the final price.
Italy is a country full of raw materials such as fruit, vegetables, cereals and so on; this is the reason why it's fundamental to use products that are close to us in order to avoid waste and even to save money.
above all during the transport of the products.
Km zero food, also called short supply chain, comprises local products sold close to the place of production.
The so-called Farmer's markets are markets and/or shops where farmers directly meet the consumer selling their products without intermediaries and so without further increase on the final price.
Italy is a country full of raw materials such as fruit, vegetables, cereals and so on; this is the reason why it's fundamental to use products that are close to us in order to avoid waste and even to save money.
Firstly, by shortening the supply chain from producer to consumer, a few steps and then some costs are cut down.
The end result is a saving which is around 30 per cent of prices.
Secondly, shopping at km 0 guarantees quality and freshness of the products: when coming directly from the producer, products
haven’t spoiled because of damage caused by the time that accumulates during passages until point of sale
Finally, this kind of market contributes to improve the environment in a sensible way, cutting of 30% emissions of carbon dioxide, also due to a lower handling car (to go to do shop) and of trucks (to transport the products).
During the transport, a lot of products are lost, so the amount of wasted goods increases; with the use of km 0 materials,
the problem disappears and a part of the chain of wasting is prevented.
Suppose that a truck full of peaches must arrive in Italy, during the travel all load is likely to be lost, or big part could be
deteriorated, so wasted.
Despite this big disadvantage, quality of imported food always is very high.
This problem concerns us very closely: in fact our area, the Pianura Padana, is full of cereals, as well as orchards; however, on
the shelves of supermarkets foreign products are more and more frequent.
In the last few years, the globalisation, market logics, the commercial politics of the big multinational industries has distanced the
products and the consumers geographically.
In this way, with the increase of the import/export of food, raw materials, the centralising of the production controlled by few
producers, the esponential growth of the big centralised selling points, there has been a high increase of the big motor vehicles for the transport of different food.
In the past, food used to travel for just few kms, now it can travel for hundreds or thousands of kms before arriving on the shelves of supermarkets.
In fact it is likely to buy vegetables from Africa, honey from foreign countries and yogurt from Eastern Europe as it is made of Dutch milk.
What arrives in our kitchens is often the result of several companies, each of them makes only a step of the realisation of the product: for instance, in the case of fresh products such as fruit and vegetables, they're often picked up in a country, washed in another, packaged in another and finally sent to the big organised distribution.
This last passage might not be short: before arriving in markets, a product packaged can pass through other passages.
The end result is a saving which is around 30 per cent of prices.
Secondly, shopping at km 0 guarantees quality and freshness of the products: when coming directly from the producer, products
haven’t spoiled because of damage caused by the time that accumulates during passages until point of sale
Finally, this kind of market contributes to improve the environment in a sensible way, cutting of 30% emissions of carbon dioxide, also due to a lower handling car (to go to do shop) and of trucks (to transport the products).
During the transport, a lot of products are lost, so the amount of wasted goods increases; with the use of km 0 materials,
the problem disappears and a part of the chain of wasting is prevented.
Suppose that a truck full of peaches must arrive in Italy, during the travel all load is likely to be lost, or big part could be
deteriorated, so wasted.
Despite this big disadvantage, quality of imported food always is very high.
This problem concerns us very closely: in fact our area, the Pianura Padana, is full of cereals, as well as orchards; however, on
the shelves of supermarkets foreign products are more and more frequent.
In the last few years, the globalisation, market logics, the commercial politics of the big multinational industries has distanced the
products and the consumers geographically.
In this way, with the increase of the import/export of food, raw materials, the centralising of the production controlled by few
producers, the esponential growth of the big centralised selling points, there has been a high increase of the big motor vehicles for the transport of different food.
In the past, food used to travel for just few kms, now it can travel for hundreds or thousands of kms before arriving on the shelves of supermarkets.
In fact it is likely to buy vegetables from Africa, honey from foreign countries and yogurt from Eastern Europe as it is made of Dutch milk.
What arrives in our kitchens is often the result of several companies, each of them makes only a step of the realisation of the product: for instance, in the case of fresh products such as fruit and vegetables, they're often picked up in a country, washed in another, packaged in another and finally sent to the big organised distribution.
This last passage might not be short: before arriving in markets, a product packaged can pass through other passages.