Shockingly, approximately 30 percent of what is annually produced by Portuguese farmers is thrown away, despite being good quality, simply because of aesthetics.
Food waste: beauty is in the eye of the beholder
In Europe, around 30% of all fruit and vegetables are discarded each year just because of their appearance. The team behind Portugal’s FLAW4LIFE project has successfully worked with farmers, consumers, volunteers, and students to cut this waste by 2 600 tonnes. This compares to the annual amount of unused food from around 13 000 people.
Through the EU’s Farm to Fork Strategy, the European Commission also wants to prevent food waste. The Strategy, which is part of the European Green Deal, aims to make food systems fair, healthy and environmentally-friendly.
With Portugal having taken over the rotating presidency of the EU on 1 January, FLAW4LIFE s Isabel Soares in Lisbon explains the project.