Too good to go calls on European parliament to back food waste reduction targets of 50%

This World Food Day (Monday 16th November), Too Good To Go, calls on the European Parliament and Ireland to back legally-binding food waste reduction targets of at least 50%. Food waste accounts for 10% of all human-caused greenhouse gas emissions worldwide and is a key contributor to climate change. The European Commission’s current food waste reduction proposal suggests only 10-30% reduction for various food sectors, far below what the EU committed to in 2015, through SDG 12.3.

Operating in Ireland since 2021, Too Good To Go has just marked its two year anniversary here, and allows users to rescue unsold food from retailers and restaurants at a fraction of what it might otherwise cost so it doesn’t go to waste. The app recently announced a major milestone of saving a staggering 500,000 Surprise Bags of food from going to waste in Ireland. There are 447,251 registered users currently in Ireland and over 1,600 partners big and small across Ireland including Fresh, KC Peaches, SuperValu, Café Nero, Off Beat Donut Co. and other local independent eateries / stores around the country.

According to the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service, 2023 is on track to become the hottest year since at least 1940, with the devastating impact of climate change felt around the globe. Meanwhile, prices of food have been soaring, reducing accessibility of essential food staples for many households.

A Single Solution

“Climate change and soaring food prices have something in common,” says Sophie Trueman, Managing Director, UK and Ireland. “They share the same simple solution: Reducing food waste. Globally, 40% of all food produced is wasted, which accounts for 10% of all human-caused greenhouse gas emissions worldwide (WWF, 2021). This is happening in a world where 828 million people are affected by hunger every day (WHO, 2021). Also, food waste is estimated to cost the global economy over a trillion dollars each year (FAO, 2021).

We need to cut the amount of food we waste by 50% or more. Urgently,” states Sophie. “We need to put a real value on food. Not by artificially raising prices, but by accelerating our collective efforts to stop wasting it. We cannot afford to waste food any longer. It is simply too valuable; for society, for the planet, and for the economy. That is why, on World Food Day, we at Too Good To Go are calling on the European Parliament and EU member states to dramatically reduce food waste, by backing food waste reduction targets of at least 50%.”

UN Advisory Board: No More Half-hearted Measures

José Manuel Moller, Vice-Chair of the UN’s Zero Waste Advisory Board and CEO of Algramo, said: “Every piece of evidence indicates that there is no longer room for half-hearted measures. It is necessary for authorities and companies to take action now, to jointly mitigate the catastrophic effects that climate change is bringing to people across the globe. We need stronger regulation that drives decisive and collaborative action to achieve significant and lasting impact

FAO: We Need More Speed and More Scale

Dr. Zitouni Ould-Dada, Deputy Director at the Office of Climate Change, Biodiversity and Environment at the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), adds: “We’re not making enough progress towards SDG 12.3 – halving the food waste per capita at retail and consumer levels by 2030. We need to see more commitment, more innovative policies and solutions, and a widespread adoption of sustainable behaviours throughout the supply chain. We’re not where we should be and where we need to be. We need more speed and more scale.”

Fighting Food Waste in Retail and at Home

The team at Too Good To Go recognises that businesses too have a significant opportunity and responsibility to drive real change. The certified B Corp created the world’s largest marketplace for surplus food, connecting 81 million registered users with 145,000 retailers, restaurants, fast casual outlets, cafes and manufacturers to sell leftover food products at a reduced price.

“Beyond our marketplace, we make an effort to inspire and empower as many people as possible to fight food waste together,” says Lykke. “At Too Good To Go we created a coalition of over 500 brands, from Unilever, Danone, Carrefour, Nestle, Bel Group and others. Through this international initiative, our bespoke Look-Smell-Taste label is printed on an estimated 6 billion packs of ‘Best Before’ products annually, encouraging consumers to trust their senses before they waste good food.”

Tangible Targets for Sustainable Transformation

Dr. Zitouni Ould-Dada of the FAO: “Our agrifood systems need to become more efficient, more sustainable, more inclusive and more resilient to shocks. In order to realise this agri-food system transformation, governments need to put more ambitious policies and regulations in place that help avoid food loss and waste across the board. We all as consumers also need to take responsibility not to waste any food.”

“At scale, small actions can make a big difference. To achieve that necessary scale, we need strong regulation. This issue is too urgent, too serious and too massive not to legislate against it with speed and ambition. We need the European Parliament and EU member states to back food waste reduction targets of at least 50% to be met by 2030,” concludes Sophie.

About Too Good To Go

Too Good To Go is a certified B Corp social impact company that connects users with partner stores to rescue unsold food and stop it from going to waste. With 81 million registered users and 145,000 active partners across 17 countries across Europe and North America, Too Good To Go is the world’s number one marketplace for surplus food.

Since its launch in 2016, Too Good To Go has helped to save over 250 million meals from going to waste, the equivalent to 672,000 tonnes of CO2e avoided. According to Project Drawdown (2020), fighting food waste is the number one solution to help solve the climate crisis. For more information see https://www.toogoodtogo.com/en-gb/press

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