Are we a nation of “food wasters”?
A small group of students from University of Queensland and Griffith University have recently initiated a drive to change the view of Australian consumers when it comes to produce wastage.
Each year in Australia tonnes and tonnes of food becomes landfill and when we consider the hardship that some people are living in, some without the basics of adequate food, the question needs to be asked why some foods are immediately cast to the bin?
Reclaim the Bin movement which although in its early days, aims to tackle food waste issues through amending legislation locally and nationally. This is on the back of recent changes to laws in France which has made throwing away food illegal.
Speaking in her capacity as President of the Food Industries Association of Queensland, Jana Cameron (owner of PATH4 Food) has stated that the association
supported, in principle, activities that reduced wastage “providing the food is still safe for human consumption”. However, Jana also raised the valid question of “how” these initiatives can be achieved, believing that the big question is really about creating an infrastructure.
“The question here is who would collect the food and what supply chain have they set up,” she said.
Like many such initiatives, the detail behind the concept is often significant but a result that sees a reduction in food wastage while still ensuring that we maintain the quality and safety standards of the food that we consume is a worthwhile goal.
Audio from Jana’s interview with 4EB is available below.