FoodTalks: coronavirus and food waste

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In the last month, some safety measures have been taken due to Coronavirus in all EU countries. In Italy, especially in Lombardy, Veneto and Emilia Romagna regions, the food sector has been suffering a great impact and it’s responding. The events have been cancelled (catering already ready), the schools and school canteens closed, many restaurants closed, bakeries that had to stop their production, and due to panic caused by #COVID-19 news, the supermarkets have been emptied out by consumers.

There is a big risk of the food being wasted. For how long the fresh food can be conserved? All the tonnes of fresh food that can be wasted! Can you imagine?

Italy has activated various initiatives to prevent the fresh food waste. The school canteens produce, without students, around 3 tonnes of surplus food. In Milan the public entities decided to launch an initiative which will donate the fresh food to the organizations active in collection and distribution of surplus food.(source: https://www.bancoalimentare.it/it/news/insieme-al-comune-di-milano-per-evitare-spreco)

BUT! Is it really necessary to find this kind of solutions just during the “crisis”? It would be important to prevent food waste and start up solutions like this. Let’s not forget! The climate crises we are living right now. Being there COVID-19 or not.

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