EU pledges to cut food waste
Every EU country must reduce food waste by 30% per capita by 2030. This applies to all grocery stores, restaurants and households in the EU.
This urgent legislation is needed because of the excessive energy used to produce food and the increased carbon dioxide emitted during disposal. The average amount of food waste per person in Europe is 131 kg per year. Across Europe, the total is 59 million tonnes.
Countries would also be required to cut food waste in the processing and manufacturing sectors by 10% by 2030 from 2020 levels, according to the draft. But the law could change before it is published. Countries will consider how to implement the new rules in their legislation once the proposal is officially launched. Adaptation of the law is normal, as the specifics will be very different in each region.
Such legislation will not only help to protect the environment. It will also help to combat hunger and malnutrition and reduce farmers' production costs.
