Around a third of food produced for human consumption is lost or thrown away, despite severe shortages in many parts of the world. To mark World Food Day, we took a look at a number of initiatives that try to cut down food waste.
Fighting food waste while enjoying a fresh three-course meal for four dollars. /CGTN/Toth
Using food saving apps
Through apps such as 'Too Good To Go', restaurants or retailers offer leftover food at a reduced price instead of throwing it into the bin. Customers are notified whenever such meals are available. Available in 15 European countries, as well as in the US and Canada, about 20 to 30 percent of the charge goes as commission to the app which provides this platform.
"We started with a few restaurants, a few bakeries in Vienna but there wasn't really a lot of awareness for food waste," says Georg Strasser-Müller, the country manager of 'Too Good To Go' in Austria. "So it took us quite some convincing to get the first few partners on board. But after a couple of weeks, a couple of months, we got the first chains on board the first restaurants and then it really was a snowball effect."
Meanwhile, the originally Danish app has seven thousand partners in Austria and 140 thousand word-wide.
Almost two million Austrians have downloaded the food saving app. /CGTN/Toth
Food donations
Smartphone apps are not the only initiatives trying to stop food waste. Across the globe, NGOs collect leftovers and share them with people in need - saving precious resources.
It's estimated the average Austrian throws out 800 dollars worth of edible food each year. "Unfortunately, I also waste food," Vienna resident Diana told CGTN. "I buy new bread every day, and the one from yesterday is then often thrown away."
"I think going to the market is a very sustainable way to buy products that you just need for one household," says Daryl while shopping at Vienna's Hannovermarkt. "I believe that in supermarkets the quantities of food and fruits are too much for one person."
Different from some supermarkets, local market stands let you choose the exact quantity of products. /CGTN/Toth
Public refrigerators
In the Austrian capital, the 'Foodsharing' initiative provides several public refrigerators throughout the city where anyone can leave or pick up leftover food. We test the initiative and left a bunch of apples in one of these fridges. Just five minutes later, a man came and picked them up.
According to environmental organizations, however, sharing leftovers is not enough to stop food waste. What is needed is a responsible approach with this precious resource along the entire supply chain, from the farm to the retailer.
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