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| Milan leads fight against food waste – with ugly fruit and Michelin-starred soup kitchens | Milan leads fight against food waste – with ugly fruit and Michelin-starred soup kitchens |
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| On a Saturday afternoon, as soon as the market is drawing to a close, traders bring their boxes of unsold fruit and vegetables to a corner of Viale Papiniano in Milan. They are welcomed by Rebecca, a 25-year-old student who’s behind Recup, a project that distributes leftover food to people in need in the local neighbourhood. Along with 20 fellow volunteers recruited through social media, Rebecca collects and shares unsold tomatoes, cabbages and bananas from the market stands. | On a Saturday afternoon, as soon as the market is drawing to a close, traders bring their boxes of unsold fruit and vegetables to a corner of Viale Papiniano in Milan. They are welcomed by Rebecca, a 25-year-old student who’s behind Recup, a project that distributes leftover food to people in need in the local neighbourhood. Along with 20 fellow volunteers recruited through social media, Rebecca collects and shares unsold tomatoes, cabbages and bananas from the market stands. |
| “I was shocked going to the market at closing time and realising just how much unsold fruit and vegetables were thrown in the garbage,” she recalls. “Together with my flatmate, I started to talk to the market vendors and convince them to donate produce destined to go to waste. Now there is a a system of mutual trust between the local vendors and those who come to collect unsold food.” | “I was shocked going to the market at closing time and realising just how much unsold fruit and vegetables were thrown in the garbage,” she recalls. “Together with my flatmate, I started to talk to the market vendors and convince them to donate produce destined to go to waste. Now there is a a system of mutual trust between the local vendors and those who come to collect unsold food.” |
| Recup is one of the grassroots activities in Milan that reflects the ambitions set out in the city’s Food Policy – a framework of goals launched by the municipal government in 2015 to reduce food waste as well as promote a more healthy and sustainable approach to food among its residents. | Recup is one of the grassroots activities in Milan that reflects the ambitions set out in the city’s Food Policy – a framework of goals launched by the municipal government in 2015 to reduce food waste as well as promote a more healthy and sustainable approach to food among its residents. |
| The policy, which brings together the city departments that deal with food (environment, trade, transport, agriculture, waste management), is one of the legacies of Expo 2015, which for six months made host city Milan the centre of the global debate on sustainable nutrition under the motto: “Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life.” Though the event itself attracted criticism, the topic of food continued to resonate. | The policy, which brings together the city departments that deal with food (environment, trade, transport, agriculture, waste management), is one of the legacies of Expo 2015, which for six months made host city Milan the centre of the global debate on sustainable nutrition under the motto: “Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life.” Though the event itself attracted criticism, the topic of food continued to resonate. |
| During the Milan Expo, Michelin star chef Massimo Bottura opened a soup kitchen using leftover food from the exhibition as part of a campaign to raise awareness about food waste. An estimated 15 tonnes of food ended up feeding homeless people instead of going in the bin. The initiative is ongoing in Milan, and it was recently replicated during the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. | During the Milan Expo, Michelin star chef Massimo Bottura opened a soup kitchen using leftover food from the exhibition as part of a campaign to raise awareness about food waste. An estimated 15 tonnes of food ended up feeding homeless people instead of going in the bin. The initiative is ongoing in Milan, and it was recently replicated during the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. |
| In addition to the city’s food policy, 2015 saw the launch of the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact – an international agreement on sustainable and equitable urban food systems, signed by the mayors of 130 cities across the world. One of the main goals is to foster collaboration among cities through the exchange of good practices. To mark World Food Day this year, on 16 October, the mayors of the signatory cities met to discuss how they are implementing the pact at a local level. | |
| Next week, city leaders from around the world will come together at the UN’s Habitat III summit to discuss how to ensure that cities become more sustainable, setting out goals in a New Urban Agenda. But Milan believes that the agenda needs to do more for food. | Next week, city leaders from around the world will come together at the UN’s Habitat III summit to discuss how to ensure that cities become more sustainable, setting out goals in a New Urban Agenda. But Milan believes that the agenda needs to do more for food. |
| Across the continent approximately 88m tonnes of food is wasted each year | Across the continent approximately 88m tonnes of food is wasted each year |
| “Urban food systems are vulnerable to climate change, social violence, migration flows and economic disruption,” explains Emma Bonino, Italy’s former minister of foreign affairs and special advisor to the mayor of Milan. “Finding the right solutions requires a comprehensive approach. That is why Milan, together with the other cities from the pact, is working to push food higher on the New Urban Agenda.” | “Urban food systems are vulnerable to climate change, social violence, migration flows and economic disruption,” explains Emma Bonino, Italy’s former minister of foreign affairs and special advisor to the mayor of Milan. “Finding the right solutions requires a comprehensive approach. That is why Milan, together with the other cities from the pact, is working to push food higher on the New Urban Agenda.” |
| Milan’s forward-thinking ideas were wrapped up by the approval of a new law to fight food waste in Italy that came into force last month. It’s based around incentives that make it easier for companies to donate food by relaxing various regulations. It is hoped the law will help Italy recover 1m tonnes of food a year – as the country wastes an estimated 5.1m tonnes annually. | Milan’s forward-thinking ideas were wrapped up by the approval of a new law to fight food waste in Italy that came into force last month. It’s based around incentives that make it easier for companies to donate food by relaxing various regulations. It is hoped the law will help Italy recover 1m tonnes of food a year – as the country wastes an estimated 5.1m tonnes annually. |
| Across the continent approximately 88m tonnes of produce is wasted each year – with costs estimated at €143bn (£128bn). Up to 50% of food is wasted in EU households, supermarkets, restaurants and along the food supply chain – while more than 16 million people in the EU depend on food aid from charities. | Across the continent approximately 88m tonnes of produce is wasted each year – with costs estimated at €143bn (£128bn). Up to 50% of food is wasted in EU households, supermarkets, restaurants and along the food supply chain – while more than 16 million people in the EU depend on food aid from charities. |
| One aspect of Italy’s new law promotes a shift in behaviours; it encourages people to use “doggy bags” to take leftover food home from restaurants. Some people believe this practice should start at a young age. Milano Ristorazione, a city-owned company which provides 80,000 meals per day to schools, hospitals and elderly houses, launched the campaign Io non spreco (I don’t waste) in 2014 to involve school children in the fight against food waste. The company gives out bags for primary school students to take home leftover food from lunch, like bread or fruit. | One aspect of Italy’s new law promotes a shift in behaviours; it encourages people to use “doggy bags” to take leftover food home from restaurants. Some people believe this practice should start at a young age. Milano Ristorazione, a city-owned company which provides 80,000 meals per day to schools, hospitals and elderly houses, launched the campaign Io non spreco (I don’t waste) in 2014 to involve school children in the fight against food waste. The company gives out bags for primary school students to take home leftover food from lunch, like bread or fruit. |
| “Teaching the value of food is fundamental,” explains Milano Ristorazione director Gabriella Iacono. “Children learn at school to not waste fruit and to value everything: at the end of a meal when they throw away food scraps and biodegradable plates in the wet waste bin, they learn that everything can be reused for nature.” | “Teaching the value of food is fundamental,” explains Milano Ristorazione director Gabriella Iacono. “Children learn at school to not waste fruit and to value everything: at the end of a meal when they throw away food scraps and biodegradable plates in the wet waste bin, they learn that everything can be reused for nature.” |
| The global “ugly food” movement, promoting the consumption of misshapen produce usually thrown away, has taken off across Europe – from the inglorious fruits and vegetables campaign by French supermarket Intermarché, which led to France banning supermarket food waste; to the UK’s “wonky veg box” scheme and the Spanish social enterprise-run brand Es Imperfect, which sells jams, soups and sauces made from recovered produce. | The global “ugly food” movement, promoting the consumption of misshapen produce usually thrown away, has taken off across Europe – from the inglorious fruits and vegetables campaign by French supermarket Intermarché, which led to France banning supermarket food waste; to the UK’s “wonky veg box” scheme and the Spanish social enterprise-run brand Es Imperfect, which sells jams, soups and sauces made from recovered produce. |
| In Milan, the Frutta Brutta (ugly fruit) project is led by a group of fruit producers from the Lombardy region who are selling imperfect apples in the city’s farmers markets at a lower price (€0.80 per kilo, while the regular price for “normal” apples is around €2.50 per kilo). Farmers involved in this initiative, launched in September 2014, aim to save more than 50 tonnes of apples from now until April 2017 through the scheme – which also gives a kilo of apples to local charities for every kilo sold at the markets. | In Milan, the Frutta Brutta (ugly fruit) project is led by a group of fruit producers from the Lombardy region who are selling imperfect apples in the city’s farmers markets at a lower price (€0.80 per kilo, while the regular price for “normal” apples is around €2.50 per kilo). Farmers involved in this initiative, launched in September 2014, aim to save more than 50 tonnes of apples from now until April 2017 through the scheme – which also gives a kilo of apples to local charities for every kilo sold at the markets. |
| Many of the local initiatives addressing food waste in Milan also focus on having a strong social impact. The Italian NGO Banco Alimentare organises mass-scale collections of food surplus across the country in order to donate them to networks of local charities and soup kitchens, or directly to families in need. Around 54,000 people in Milan benefit daily from the work of Banco Alimentare, which deals mostly with large-scale retailers through a system involving more than 700 volunteers in the Lombardy region. The organisation is currently planning to collaborate with the city government and the Polytechnic University to test a local-scale model of food waste reduction in a suburban neighbourhood of the city; it would offer residents a real-time list of shops where food surplus is available. | Many of the local initiatives addressing food waste in Milan also focus on having a strong social impact. The Italian NGO Banco Alimentare organises mass-scale collections of food surplus across the country in order to donate them to networks of local charities and soup kitchens, or directly to families in need. Around 54,000 people in Milan benefit daily from the work of Banco Alimentare, which deals mostly with large-scale retailers through a system involving more than 700 volunteers in the Lombardy region. The organisation is currently planning to collaborate with the city government and the Polytechnic University to test a local-scale model of food waste reduction in a suburban neighbourhood of the city; it would offer residents a real-time list of shops where food surplus is available. |
| The use of apps to combat food waste is also creating new opportunities for grocery shops in Milan. MyFoody alerts local residents to food in small supermarkets in danger of being wasted – either because it’s going out of date or the packaging is damaged. The initiative now has 10,000 registered users across the city (most of them between 25 and 34 years old) and involves 23 small supermarkets – but hopes to extend its model to 500 supermarkets across northern Italy by the end of 2017. | The use of apps to combat food waste is also creating new opportunities for grocery shops in Milan. MyFoody alerts local residents to food in small supermarkets in danger of being wasted – either because it’s going out of date or the packaging is damaged. The initiative now has 10,000 registered users across the city (most of them between 25 and 34 years old) and involves 23 small supermarkets – but hopes to extend its model to 500 supermarkets across northern Italy by the end of 2017. |
| A similar system, focused mostly on local shops such as bakeries or delis, is offered by Last Minute Sotto Casa. The Turin-based startup is going to expand to Milan, where it connects users to offers at small shops to avoid having unsold food at closing time. Technology is certainly making it easier than ever to connect businesses and people in order to tackle the food waste problem – Silicon Valley has even caught on to the idea. | A similar system, focused mostly on local shops such as bakeries or delis, is offered by Last Minute Sotto Casa. The Turin-based startup is going to expand to Milan, where it connects users to offers at small shops to avoid having unsold food at closing time. Technology is certainly making it easier than ever to connect businesses and people in order to tackle the food waste problem – Silicon Valley has even caught on to the idea. |
| Back in Milan, vice mayor Anna Scavuzzo is optimistic about the future of her city. “The issue of food waste reduction is an important part of our public policy. The city needs to act as a facilitator in order to help link up those who want to reduce food waste and those in need. | Back in Milan, vice mayor Anna Scavuzzo is optimistic about the future of her city. “The issue of food waste reduction is an important part of our public policy. The city needs to act as a facilitator in order to help link up those who want to reduce food waste and those in need. |
| “It is not easy to make the first step,” she adds. “But once you explain the reasons behind policies like these, citizens start to understand the importance of such decisions.” | “It is not easy to make the first step,” she adds. “But once you explain the reasons behind policies like these, citizens start to understand the importance of such decisions.” |
| Guardian Cities is a member of the Habitat III Journalism Project. Read more about the project here | Guardian Cities is a member of the Habitat III Journalism Project. Read more about the project here |