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University of Vechta fights against food waste in India!
University of Vechta is participating in an international project to reduce food waste in Bengaluru, India.
University of Vechta fights against food waste in India!
The food produced worldwide is far too valuable to be thrown away. This is where an interdisciplinary research project from... University of Vechta which deals with the recycling of food waste in Bengaluru, India. This exciting project is coordinated by Prof. Dr. Andreas Bürkert from the University of Kassel and Prof. Dr. Nikolaus Schareika from the University of Göttingen.
The aim of the project is to analyze the interactions between urban and rural areas, an aspect that is often neglected in the discussion about food losses. The German Research Foundation (DFG) supports the research group entitled “Sustainable Rurbanity – Resources, Society, and Regulatory” and thereby ensures that valuable insights are gained on this global problem.
Background on the food situation in the EU
Food losses are not only an issue in India, but also a major problem in Europe. In many EU member states, research into measuring and reducing food waste has been carried out for years, like this Thünen Institute reported. Various data collection methods are used, from statistics to household surveys to waste screening. However, the different definitions and collection methods used across countries are a major hurdle to comparing data.
The EU Commission founded a platform in 2016 to jointly address various issues in the area of food loss and waste. All EU states as well as organizations such as the FAO, OECD and UNEP are part of this platform. A significant step was the revision of the EU Waste Framework Directive in 2018, which established a uniform definition of food waste and requires member states to measure and regularly report their waste volumes.
Current measures against food waste
The EU Commission recently published a proposal to revise the Waste Framework Directive in order to further promote the reduction of food and textile waste. To achieve this, binding waste reduction targets are to be introduced by the end of 2030. These include, for example, a 10% reduction in food processing and manufacturing, as well as an impressive 30% reduction in retail, restaurants and households, such as the European Parliament determines.
In March 2024, Parliament adopted its position on the revision, calling for even more ambitious targets: a reduction of at least 20% in food processing and 40% in retail and food services. Other solutions to combat food waste include promoting “ugly” fruits and vegetables, monitoring unfair market practices, and clarifying date labeling.
With all of these measures, the EU is signaling that the fight against food waste and the resource-saving use of food are at the top of the agenda. The University of Vechta's approach could provide decisive impetus here and contribute to solving one of the most pressing problems of our time.