A food bank in Spain has partnered with a major wholesale market for fresh food to reduce food waste and feed vulnerable communities.
As reported by Catalan News, the Banc dels Aliments and Mercabarna have joined forces to start a project known as Foodback. Foodback is a food recovery center where wholesale companies can donate discarded food. The food is then inspected, and around 70% is recovered before being distributed to vulnerable communities.
The food is either redistributed as is or transformed into baby food and juice, ensuring less food goes to waste. Eco-friendly initiatives like these are great for supporting communities and protecting the planet.
The initiative began in 2022 and has already produced amazing results. For example, in 2024 alone, the food bank recovery center received 1,233 tons of fruit and vegetables, of which nearly 850 tons were redistributed to those in need.
The director of the Banc dels Aliments, Elisabet Viladomiu, said, "Everything that arrives here was originally destined for the recycling point. We recover it before it gets there," per Catalan News.
Food waste is a big problem globally. According to Feeding America, 92 billion pounds of food are wasted every year in the U.S., which is equal to 145 billion meals. This accounts for around 38% of all the food in America, which is a shocking statistic.
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Reducing food waste is important for several reasons. Firstly, keeping food waste to a minimum can help households and businesses save money.
There are lots of things people can do to help reduce food waste, including planning meals, making a shopping list, storing food properly, doing more with leftovers, and composting food scraps. Reducing how much food people buy and waste can also help address food insecurity by reducing the resources needed to produce food.
Reducing food waste is also good for the environment. Food waste often ends up in landfills, where it contributes to the production of harmful, planet-warming gases such as methane. It also helps to conserve important resources like water and land.
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