How is food waste relevant to the climate?
It can be difficult to make the connection between food and climate change. But we do know that food waste accounts for 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions, and if food waste was a country, it would be the world’s third biggest polluter, after the United States and China!
The journey of getting food into the shops and onto our plates takes a lot of time and resources, such as energy, water and fuel. From growing, picking or cooking the food, to transporting it around the world, food production is a complex process. This impact on the world makes it really important to value the food that we buy, and to stop it from ending up as waste. Creating a sustainable food system will help people and the planet survive and thrive.
Why should we act now?
Whilst we know that food waste is harmful to our environment, we also know that food brings people together. Whether it’s volunteering at a community kitchen, cooking at home for your friends using food that would have been thrown away, or distributing food to people across your city, the challenge of stopping food waste is an opportunity to help others and make a difference. Transforming food intended for landfill into affordable and high-quality meals helps us all, whether it’s people who find it difficult to access food or people who want to reduce their carbon footprint.
You might already be making changes at home to reduce the amount of food you are throwing away, but we can achieve much more when we work together with our neighbours and our communities. So, are you ready to join the fight against food waste?
How you and your community can fight food waste together
There are some great organisations working on tackling commercial food waste, by intercepting food from supermarkets and other businesses before it reaches landfill.
Food Works operates across Sheffield to feed communities, cook healthy and delicious meals and redistribute food and drink that was originally intended for landfill. Volunteering with them means joining a community of hundreds of others cooking, driving, distributing, and even farming! Find out more about volunteering here.
Good Food Barnsley is a partnership of fantastic minds and resources working towards a shared vision of building a better Barnsley where everyone has the right to the food they need to thrive.
Bentley Urban Farm in Doncaster is an anti-food poverty campaign, which aims to build healthier people and communities through growing, cooking and eating together.
