Wasteful Italy, each person throws away 80 grams of food a day (and each family loses 290 euros a year)

Compared to last year, waste increased in Italy by 8.05%:more is wasted in cities and families without children waste more.Here are the data from Waste Watcher on the occasion of the National Food Waste Prevention Day on February 5th

ROME – Italy 2024, we are suddenly more wasteful, face to face with food.We go from 75 to almost 81 grams of food thrown away every day per capita in our homes (80.9 grams, to be exact) and from 524.1 grams per week in 2023 to 566.3 grams per week in 2024.It is about the8.05% more waste than a year ago.In 2024 in Italy, food waste costs approximately 290 euros per year per family, approximately 126 euros per capita each year. More is wasted in cities and in large municipalities (+8%) and less in small towns, families without children waste more (+3%) and much more consumers with low purchasing power (+17%).More is wasted in the south (+4% compared to the national average) and less in the north (-6% compared to the average). It is worth over 13 billion euros, to be precise 13,155,161,999 the overall waste of food in Italy:a dizzying figure that includes waste at a domestic level - which accounts for over 7 billion and 445 million), waste in distribution which is worth around half (almost 4 billion euros, to be precise 3 billion and 996 million), in addition to waste in field and industry, much more contained.

FEBRUARY 5TH IS THE DAY AGAINST FOOD WASTE

This is the photograph of waste told by Report 'The Italy case' by the Waste Watcher Observatory International, counting down to the 11th National Food Waste Prevention Day, scheduled for Monday 5 February.But the truly alarming issue is linked to the social alarm that emerges from a picture of strong general uncertainty:this is demonstrated by the data that Waste Watcher International analyzes on the first year food safety plan in Italy using the FIES index (Food Insecurity Experience Scale), which measures people's level of access to adequate and nutritious food.

IF THE CHOICE FALLS ON THE DISCOUNT

From a socioeconomic point of view, the class that defines itself as "popular" ("I feel poor and struggle to make it to the end of the month") and which in Italy numbers over 5.7 million people (over 10% of the population!, Istat data) presents an alarming 280% increase in food insecurity compared to the Italian average.Add to this picture that 1 in 2 consumers with low purchasing power (working class) looks for food close to the expiry date to save money, and that 41% choose the discount store to the detriment of the local shop or supermarket, 77% have dented their savings to cover the cost of living, 28% have further cut their food budget.

The Waste Watcher Report 'The Italy case' was created for the public awareness campaign of Zero Waste on Ipsos/University of Bologna Distal monitoring, under the direction of the professor of circular economy and policies for sustainable development Andrea Segrè, full professor at the University of Bologna, and for the coordination of the Unibo teacher Luca Falasconi.The presentation was introduced in the European Space by Fabrizio Spada, Head of Institutional Relations of the European Parliament in Italy, who recalled the EU's commitment to the prevention of food waste, underlining the correspondence recorded in the new Waste Watcher data between growth of inflation and rise in food waste.While Massimo Pronto, Communications Manager of the European Commission Representation in Italy, underlined the importance of discussing these issues with other European countries to share common policies.

“POOR FOOD INCREASES WASTE AND WORSENS FOOD SAFETY”

'These are data that we must pay careful attention to - notes the scientific director of Waste Watcher, Andrea Segrè - because they allow us to highlight the close connection between inflation and global insecurity on the one hand and social impact on the other, between constantly declining purchasing power and consequent consumer choices which unfortunately do not go in the direction of environmental health, but not even personal health. Choosing poor quality, less healthy and often easily spoiled food not only leads to an increase in food wasted in the bin, but also a worsening of one's diet and food safety.If health begins at the table, poor food results in increased social and environmental costs.Ultimately:as poor we eat and feel worse, and we waste even more.And this vicious circle reverberates on the environment.If we really want to "make a difference", as the claim of the 11th National Food Waste Prevention Day asks, the action must be synergistic and we also and above all need public policies aimed at mitigating the impacts of inflation on food security, with a particular focus on the protection of the most vulnerable social classes'.

THERE ARE THOSE WHO BANG ON OFFERS AND THOSE WHO SELF-PRODUCE

The inflation effect involves eloquent choices and the acquisition of new eating habits that do not necessarily lead to a better average diet.Some examples:1 in 2 consumers (49%) say they are increasing their purchasing of food online, over 1 in 3 consumers (39%) go for promotional foods, and over 1 in 3 consumers decide to produce their own food (38%).In the hit of new purchasing choices, attention is directed with more determination towards purchasing food close to its expiry date (32%), choosing to favor discount stores for its shopping (32%) and stocking up on legumes and derivatives vegetables, to the detriment of meat consumption (31%).

ORGANIC FOOD IS TOO EXPENSIVE, IT IS ESPECIALLY WASTED FRUIT, ONIONS AND BREAD

Organic food, which is often too expensive, is losing ground due to reduced purchasing power (7%) and big brands are losing ground (11%).Above all, it is wasted fresh fruit, which stands out among the most thrown away foods in the last average week by consumers (25.4 grams), are followed by onions, garlic and tubers but also the fresh bread (20.1 grams), salads (13.8 grams) and vegetables (13.2 grams).

THE OFFICIAL EVENT OF FEBRUARY 5

Make the difference.Stop #foodwaste is the theme of the 11th National Food Waste Prevention Day scheduled for February 5th.The appointment is set in Rome on Monday 5 February from 11.30 in the Europa Area, home of the Office of the European Parliament in Italy and the Representation of the European Commission (via IV Novembre 149).The initiative is, as always, promoted by the Last Minute Market Zero Waste campaign with the patronage of the Ministry of the Environment, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and ANCI and RAI for sustainability, media partner Rdio1 RAI and Radio2 RAI with FNSI - Unagra and Tele Ambiente.It will be possible follow the events live and in streaming on Zero Waste youtube channel.The works will be introduced by greetings from Antonio Parenti, Head of the Representation in Italy of the European Commission, from Fabrizio Spada, Head of Institutional Relations of the European Parliament in Italy, from Roberto Natale, Rai Director for Sustainability - ESG and from the Scientific Director of Waste Watcher International -Zero Waste Campaign, University of Bologna, Andrea Segrè, It will be the occasion for the presentation of the new report of the Waste Watcher International Observatory with the data of the 2024 "Italy Case", an investigation promoted by the Zero Waste campaign in synergy with the University of Bologna and IPSOS.Luca Falasconi, University of Bologna, WWI, Barbara Toci and Enzo Risso Ipsos will illustrate it, while Matteo Vittuari, University of Bologna, University of Ada, WW will illustrate the data from the Cross Country Report 2023.The driving force of the event on 5 February will be, from 12.15pm, the focus dedicated to the General States of the Italian Agri-food Supply Chain, a panel that analyzes the impact of food waste in Italy, on the theme "Food waste Italy:from fields to homes, food waste in the Italian agri-food chain".Many interventions have already been planned:from FAO to Confagricoltura, from Confcommercio to Agrinsieme to Federagricoltura, the leaders of the supply chain will discuss the new waste data in Italy, monitored through the Waste Watcher 2024 Report.Coordinated by Andrea Segrè, Scientific Director of the Waste Watcher Observatory and Zero Waste Public Campaign, the following will speak, among others:Maurizio Martina, FAO Deputy Director General;Lino Stoppani, deputy vice-president of Confcommercio;Paolo Mascarino, Federalimentare President;Mauro Lusetti, President of Conad National Consortium;Cristiano Fini, Agrinsieme and National President of CIA Agricoltori Italiani. Participating in the 11th National Food Waste Prevention Day is simple, the events can in fact be followed in streaming on the Zero Waste YouTube channel.