Food waste, alarming figures in euros: 7.5 billion from families, 4 from distribution

ROMA – According to the Report ‘The Italian case‘ dell’Osservatorio Waste Watcher Internationalin our country food waste is taking on increasingly worrying dimensions: in families the rate goes from 75 grams of food thrown away each day in 2023, to almost 81 grams in 2024, in practice over half a kilo (566.3 grams) per week . Compared to the previous year, therefore, there was an increase in waste of 8.05%, for an annual cost per family of 290 euros and 126 euros per capita. A frightening figure which, overall, exceeds 13 billion: (divided between domestic waste: 7.5 billion and waste in distribution: almost 4 billion).

The other side of well-being. It is the other side of well-being that seems to be forgotten by those in the world – but with increasing frequency in Italy too – who struggle to guarantee a minimal and dignified diet. ReFoodGees is the social promotion association founded in 2017 in Rome precisely to combat food waste and increase awareness and awareness towards waste also with a view to protecting the environment and health. His project to recover food that would be wasted and subsequently distribute it aims to improve the living conditions of people in situations of vulnerability and socio-economic marginality.

The event in Rome. ReFoodGees dedicated to the commitment against food waste and poverty and to social inclusion organized on Wednesday 20 November from 4 pm in Rome, Villa Altieri, Viale Manzoni 47 (Metro Manzoni) on the occasion of the European Waste Reduction Week R. It is an initiative promoted by the Department of Social Policies and Health of the Municipality of Rome which addresses civil society, the Third Sector, the academic world and political institutions and invites them to discuss the issue of food waste and to reflect on how to make the growing need for access to food of a significant portion of the population coexist with the need to educate and raise awareness towards healthier lifestyles.

Those who eat poorly waste more. “The issue of food waste is linked to social alarm – explains Viola Piroli De Andrade, president of ReFoodGees – people belonging to the most fragile socio-economic groups eat worse and unfortunately waste more. The prolonged effect of inflation, in fact, lowers purchasing power and leads to food of poorer quality and more easily perishable. With our recovery activities which consist of two projects – RomaSalvaCibo e RecuperiAmo (a project created thanks to the contribution of Haiku Foundation Lugano) – we try to support at least 200 people on a weekly basis to whom we essentially offer vegetables and fruit, fresh and still in perfect condition agri-food products which would be thrown away without our collection intervention in the markets”.

Those who waste and those who suffer from hunger. The Association’s effort, guaranteed by an ever-constant number of volunteers including refugees and asylum seekers, produces a first concrete effect towards the beneficiaries of the direct action and aims to create culture. The phenomenon, in fact, must be addressed from a cultural as well as practical point of view, given that it has devastating effects on the entire planet. As reported by Food Waste Index Report 2024created byUnepil United Nations Environment Programmein 2022 one billion tonnes of food was wasted globally, equal to 19% of the total, while 783 million people suffer from hunger and a third of the global population is in a situation of food insecurity.