The Belgian food industry wastes 161 kg of food per inhabitant per year, compared to ‘only’ 59 kg in the Netherlands, 29 kg in France and even only 19 kg in Germany. This puts Belgium almost at the bottom of the European ranking; only Cyprus does even worse.
The Flemish government does not recognise the seriousness of the problem, say Bond Beter Leefmilieu and FoodWIN. It mainly focuses on valorisation, while prevention is urgently needed. Jasmien Wildemeersch of FoodWIN: “We are not going to harvest a tomato, transport it, process it, cool it and pack it and then throw it in the organic waste bin, transport it again and use it to generate energy. That is not a circular economy, that remains a waste of raw materials, energy and cents.” In fact, food waste accounts for 8% of Belgium’s national greenhouse gas emissions, according to the Bond Beter Leefmilieu.
Visit the Bond Beter Leefmilieu website for more information.
Image: g215 / Shutterstock
