Category: Europe

By Wisha Limbu

A shelf of canned foods at Tesco.  

Picture by: Wisha Limbu

Food waste is a widespread issue that affects people all over the world, including in the United Kingdom. For the sake of the environment, the economy, and social well-being, it is critical to address the issue of food waste as the country struggles. Feedback, a food-focused environmental advocacy group based in the United Kingdom and Netherlands, identifies food reduction as key to tackling to climate and ecological emergencies.

According to the United Nations, an estimated 13% of food produced is either lost between retail and harvest while around 17% of total global food production is wasted in households, food service industry and in retail. There is a massive need for food systems to be sustainable to be resilient and as a result, there is an urgent need to focus on reducing food waste and loss.

The Environment Act 2021 was passed in November 2021 with food waste disposals regulations to be changed for major businesses and households. With the enactment of this major legislation, the British government has been trying to address the issue of food waste.

Food Waste in The United Kingdom

Food waste has long plagued the United Kingdom and has shown how serious the problem is and how big the effects are. It includes throwing away edible food at any point during its life, from production to consumption. It also includes food waste that cannot be prevented such as whole and partially consumed food items, leftovers, and unsold or expired food items. Food waste is separated into two categories, pre-consumer and post-consumer.  

Pre-consumer food waste refers to food wasted before it reaches the consumer. It occurs at different points in the food supply chain, such as during the manufacturing, processing, distribution and retail phases. Unsold or expired food in retail stores and food service establishments, as well as faulty or damaged produce that is thrown away during harvesting or sorting, is considered as pre-consumer food waste.   

Fresh produce stocked up daily with the items where people can buy products without the concern of items being spoiled or damaged. The supermarket is the place where both quality and quantity is guaranteed.

Customers at Tesco Hook looking at produce.   

Picture by: Wisha Limbu

One of the causes of pre-consumer food waste is due to the improper handling and storage practices by retail stores. According to the British government, in 2017, the total amount of surplus food in the retail and food manufacturing being wasted amounted to 205,000 tonnes. 

Amanda Kent, manager at Tesco Hook, clarified, “The typical shelf life for food items is within five days. The food waste that is generally generated at the end of the day is only things that have been damaged or they have been opened, making them not fit for sale.”  

On the other hand, post-consumer food waste refers to food that is thrown out or wasted by customers after it has been purchased and eaten This includes food that has been thrown out because it was overbought or stored improperly, as well as leftovers from meals and rotten or expired food. Food waste that has been consumed is produced at cafeterias, restaurants, homes, and other consumer environments.  

Another major source of post-consumer food waste is the consumer behaviour. A recent from Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) reveals that 45%of respondents say they are throwing out at least as much food each week as they did at this time last year with fresh food such as vegetables and fruits being amongst the most.  

Vegetables and fruits are perishable food items with a short shelf life. If not handled or stored correctly, they are vulnerable to deterioration, bruising, and spoiling. As a result, consumers might throw them away if they start to go soft, mouldy, or overripe. According to WRAP, the majority of food waste comes from household waste with a 70%.  

Impacts of Food Waste

With such large amounts of food being wasted, the implications of it affects both economically and environmentally. Research conducted by WRAP and The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change estimates that food waste accounts for 8–10% of all man-made greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, with 25–30% of all food produced lost or wasted worldwide.  

WRAP also reported that the United Kingdom generates an estimated 9.5 million tonnes of food waste annually, with a value of approximately £19 billion. Through decomposition, the £19 billion worth of food that is decaying in UK landfills produces 25 million tonnes of greenhouse gases (GHGs).   

Furthermore, the process through which food that has gone bad gets stacked high in landfills and decomposes without getting any oxygen emits significant amounts of methane, which traps greenhouse gases twenty times more than carbon dioxide and is also produced during anaerobic decomposition. The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations estimates that 3.3 gigatons of greenhouse gases are released into the atmosphere worldwide as a result of food decay.  

Apart from food waste harming the world directly, it also harms the pockets of consumers economically. Food waste also practically results in the waste of the money used to buy the food. Over time, this accumulates and strains household finances eventually lowering people’s and families’ ability to buy.

Through joint research conducted by WRAP and Edelman, it was found that five in ten households cut back on the amount spent on shopping for groceries each week. In addition, food bills rank among the most challenging expenses to reduce, with 60% of households reporting that they find it harder to save money on food bills than on housing expenses.  

Government Policies and Local Initiatives

There are several key provisions in the Environment Act 2021. According to the British Government, the waste segregation mandate is also extended to the commercial sector by the legislation.  

It is now mandatory for businesses, such as grocery stores, restaurants, and food manufacturers, to separate their food waste from other kinds of waste. This policy aims to encourage companies to use efficient waste management techniques.

Located in Aldershot, Rushmoor Borough County, is the county in charge of local affairs. The county has launched a recycling and food waste campaign on social media.

Julie Mundy, an officer for Rushmoor Borough County, explained the process. “The policy was communicated to household by direct communication through door knocking, leaflets advising the service was going to come and then again when the equipment was delivered; through social media channels and public engagement events.”

“Our initial modelling anticipated that we would collect around 40 tonnes of food waste a week but both tonnage and participation have been much higher which we have taken a success. It was advantageous that we changed from weekly to fortnightly collections of general waste at the same time as introducing the weekly food waste service.”  

Mundy further details how Rushmoor has been able to alleviate the environmental impact in the collection of general waste since bins are collected only on alternate weeks and added that 2,940 tonnes of food waste were collected and sent for anaerobic digestion instead of energy recovery.

Recognised as the solution to dealing with food waste, anaerobic digestion is an environmentally friendly ways to recycle food waste. This process has also been adopted in the United Kingdom and turns food waste into renewable energy such as electricity and heat.

Food waste in one bin, carton and glass in another bin and general trash in one bin. Anita Sambangphe, a resident living in Aldershot, makes sure to segregate her waste every week after seeing posts on waste collecting on social media. 

“We have always practised separating waste since we live in the UK but after seeing how they do weekly food waste pickups has made me more conscious of how much food we waste.”  

Another local initiative tackling food waste is through food donation. According to Environmental Secretary Michael Grove, an estimated 100,000 tonnes of readily available and perfectly edible food thrown from United Kingdom’s food and retail industry is wasted.

Tesco, one of United Kingdom’s largest supermarkets with over 2,000 stores, partnered with FareShare, a charity promoting awareness of food waste. The Winter Food Donation is an in-store donation lasting for two to three days in local supermarkets. 

Locals are invited to donate canned food items to the Winter Food Donation such as UHT milk, tinned meat or meals sponge or rice pudding or drinks ranging from coffee to long-life juice. Ram Kumar, a local from Hook, donated for the first time. 

“It’s a tough time when people don’t have food on their table. I think the Winter Food Donation is a great initiative where people get to help the community by donating and struggling people get to have food for Christmas.”  

“It’s nice to see how different organisations are doing their part in reducing food waste. I did not know about the Winter Food Donation until today when I saw the board and shopping cart filled with food. This makes me realise not to take my food for granted,” he said.

Future Outlook

Although out of all European Union nations, the United Kingdom is the first to have met the half-way point towards achieving SDG Target 12.3, a pledge for halving food waste by 2023. It was recognised for this accomplishment with an honourable mention in Champions 12.3 Food Loss and Waste: 2020 Progress Report. 

Sustainable Development Goals are goals set up by the United Nations for the world to attain a better and more sustainable future. With a total of 17 SDGs, the United Nations 

The Food Waste Legislation 2023 makes a significant step in striving towards a better sustainable environment and economy.  By requiring waste segregation on all non-household premises, the legislation encourages both people and businesses to take responsibility for the waste generated and to play a role in reducing food waste as well. 

Despite the amount of food waste, the United Kingdom generates, the country has been making continuous progress when it comes to reducing food waste. Charities emerging with the mission to combat food waste and have partnered with local supermarkets to spread the message and alleviate the waste generated. 

With WRAP, the Food Waste Reduction Roadmap aims to 50% reduction in food loss and waste for all major food businesses. Through ‘Target, Measure, Act’, an initiative under Roadmap, large businesses are to be committed to set a food waste reduction target for the United Kingdom operations, measure and share in a consistent way and to take action to reduce food waste. 

Infographic

Another perspective through video

A recent deal between Pedro Sánchez’s socialist party and the pro-Catalan independence Junts party has re-ignited a passionate debate over the status of Catalonia’s right to independence. Parties Esquerra Republicana and Junts Per Catalunya gave their vote to Pedro Sanchez for re-election in exchange for the adoption of the amnesty bill. 

By Alice Kazakov and Leonidas Kaps

Members of the independence movement see the deal as necessary to re-ignite the flame of political will and inspire demonstrations needed to call for self-determination. The agreement will pardon separatist leaders and individuals, such as currently exiled Carles Puigdemont, giving the movement its biggest advocates back. 

Others, like political journalists and people who identify themselves as being “more realistic,” say the amnesty deal was yet just another political tactic to feign good relations between Spain and Catalonia. 

An Unusual Exchange

The amnesty deal presents as a simple exchange between parties. Pedro Sánchez will be repositioned in the Spanish government, while those that were charged and then prosecuted for the 1 October referendum in 2017 will be granted pardon. The mass pardoning will cancel trials, revoke sentences, and allow influential figures like Puigdemont to return from exile. 

In exchange, Junts per Catalunya and Esquerra Republicana voted in the Spanish Congress with a total of 14 votes, 7 votes each, to secure another term in office for Sánchez. In the first elections on July 19, 2023, the conservative People’s Party gained the most votes but was unable to secure an absolute majority. Sánchez’s Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party became the second-strongest party. Following the deal with the Catalonian pro-independence parties, Sánchez was able to win the election on November 16, 2023. Aleix Martí Danés, a political communication professor at Universitat Pompeu Fabra, sees the deal as an advantage for both sides. 

“It gives calm and quiet to the politics. It gives stability to the Spanish government and is a barrier for the radical right,” he said. “For Catalonia and Spain, it’s a good scenario. If this will conduce to the independence of Catalonia, I have my doubts. 

Though it seems like a beneficial deal for both parties, there were mass protests in large cities like Madrid. There, the consensus is that Catalonia does not need to be separate from Spain, and this deal will inspire pro-independence parties to keep negotiating and fighting for self-determination. 

On the other hand, political figures and organizations in Catalonia argue that it will take something much bigger than this deal to make significant change. Others raise a bigger question over how issues such as these can be solved democratically, if even at all. 

History of the Region 

Catalonia has a strong sense of identity and culture in line with its history. The region has historically had its own language, Catalan, which is closely related to Spanish but has its own unique grammar and vocabulary accredited to the native Catalans. The region’s position on the Mediterranean coast influences its culture heavily, and Catalans argue that Catalonia is too different of a region to be grouped in with Spain. 

Walking through Barcelona and the greater region of Catalonia, people are faced with Catalonian flags adorning every other balcony and greeted by shopkeepers speaking in Catalan, hoping to preserve their culture in a city bustling with tourists. 

From 1936 to 1975, Spain was under the dictatorship of General Francisco Franco, who was a strong supporter of Catholicism and nationalism and used his ideologies to consolidate his power. Individuals were not allowed to participate in politics or voice their thoughts, while many politically affiliated movements were forbidden. 

Minorities and especially Catalans, faced discrimination and persecution. Many suffered political-related imprisonment or even death penalties. Catalan language and culture were forbidden as Spanish was established as the national and sole language.  

After the Spanish government approved a new autonomy legislation in 1979, Catalonia was granted more rights over its own regional sovereignty and affairs. Many Catalans, however, feel that the new regulations and system fall short of what is necessary. This can be seen in data from a Pew Research Center study taken in 2017 just months after the referendum, highlighting that 91% of Catalonians who participated distrust the Spanish government to do what is right for the country. 

The inadequate governmental system, along with the dismissal of a culture in a region that has a strong connection with its history, is the very platform that the independence movement sits on. 

Dolors Feliu, president of the pro-independence organization Assemblea Nacional Catalana, explained that it is hard to group Catalans and Spaniards into one country when most Catalonians do not even follow Castilian, or the Spanish national language.

President Dolors Feliu stands in her office next to artwork from previous demonstrations. Credit: Leonidas Kaps

“We are people coming from the sea for many centuries. And we have another culture, another language,” she says. She described how Catalonia will always, as in history, face repression from the Spanish government unless they fully leave Spain. 

“Catalonia is a different country. There is no recognition about us, about our decisions, about our language, about nothing. We think that we need to make our own decisions, our own parliament independence.” 

Possible Start to Something New 

Organizations like ANC have long been demonstrating and calling for talks to negotiate independence and sovereignty. Though a consistent and long-standing movement, there have not been any significant changes in Catalonia’s right to autonomy in the past couple years after the 2017 referendum was deemed illegal. 

Now there is a real chance for change, as explained by Feliu, but the terms and language in the deal still do not address the critical idea that pro-independence groups are looking for as they try to gain mass attention to their movement.  

“This negotiation is positive for the amnesty and for [our] repression, but there is no hope in this negotiation about the self-determination right,” she said. “[…] and that’s no good for the future, for our project to achieve the independence.”  

Vicente Partal, director of pro-independence news outlet Vilaweb, shared how the amnesty will not only improve Catalonia’s relationship with the central government but also give parties like Junts per Catalunya and Esquerra Republicana leverage in decision-making and political processes. 

If Sanchez’s socialist party does not meet their promises for amnesty in a timely manner, Junts party will have the authority to rewrite or negotiate more deals, as explained by Partal, who listened to a speech given by Carles Puigdemont in Brussels on 29 November.  

“I think what is clear is that something extraordinary is happening related to the solution of the political problem between Catalonia and Spain,” Partal said. “[….] something extraordinary that we cannot talk about in a normal process.”   

Organizations like ANC believe that the political ties between the different parties and governments will allow Catalonia and Spain to hold a close and collaborative relationship, even if Catalonia were to separate. 

Others, like Professor Aleix Martí Danés, believe that although it is a nice goal, it is simply not realistic. 

“It would be impossible [to keep good relations]. In the past, there have been some campaigns to boycott Catalan products,” Danés said. “[The deal] gives stability to the Spanish government and is a barrier for the radical right to assume majority and power. If this will conduce the independence of Catalonia, I have my doubts, but maybe it’s a start. It’s a good start.”   

Political Burnout and Uncertainty 

Although there is a level of optimism about this deal, some Catalans interested in politics are worried that the independence movement is not a priority anymore for this deal to mean anything significant. 

Carles Singla Casella is one of these realists, or so he calls himself. Casella is a political and corporate communication professor at Universitat Pompeu Fabra Barcelona and focuses on how political problems are perceived and communicated in Catalonia. He explained how the idea of independence is losing traction.

Carles Singla Casella stands in front of Universitat Pompeu Fabra library which was repurposed from an old factory building. Credit: Leonidas Kaps

“Well, in 2017, lots of people thought it was possible to make a referendum, to win the referendum, and to separate from Spain. That for a short period of time looked like a real possibility,” he said. “What happened later showed that this is not a real possibility.”

“There are people who still think we should be an independent country. But even then, if they sit down and think a little bit, they know that it’s not going to happen in a foreseeable time. I think now the independence is not a priority issue for the people in Catalonia.” 

People are slowly giving up, he explained. The momentum to hold demonstrations is passing, and there are no grand changes coming in the foreseeable future to fight for. 

Aside from the feeling of political burnout, the chance of prosecution creates a barrier for some to use their voice. Casella explains that Catalans were sent multiple warnings in the form of prosecution. 

“The warning is if you demonstrate at the airport, you will be prosecuted as a terrorist. The warning is that if you try to set up a referendum, [Spain] will send you police with sticks. You cannot vote,” he said. “Getting people into prison or having people into exile for demonstrating, that’s a warning.” 

When asked if they would vote in a hypothetical referendum, students responded that they would only participate if they knew they would be protected. 

Marta Minguez, a communications student at the aforementioned UPF, said, “If it’s legal and the vast majority of people go vote, then yes, but my vote would be no.” Minguez’s mother lives in Madrid. A separation would put the pair in different countries, potentially making it harder to see each other. 

Political science student Laura Córdova explained, “If there’s a majority of people that want to separate from Spain and the European Union, I’m all for it because it’s democratic. I’m 90% sure though it wouldn’t happen, because it’s not as easy as just voting.” 

The consequences that came from the 2017 referendum were a big shock for demonstrators and created greater tension between the different governments. It became harder for pro-independence organizations to motivate the greater public to use their voice and demonstrate as people feared retaliation from Spain. 

Vilaweb journalist Partal added to this, saying,

The students are just two examples of the future generation being conflicted about how to handle this issue. They, along with their university peers, coworkers, and family members, have been left disappointed by the central and Catalonian government with their promises for change. 

One specific example is the railroad and transit system around Barcelona. Madrid uses the same system, but it has been developed exponentially over the past years to accommodate the influx of new citizens and tourists. Barcelona, and more specifically, Catalonia, has been left disappointed in how little their transit issues are prioritized. 

The transit system is just one of the many things the Catalonian government wants full ownership of. The problem, however, is that it has been an issue in negotiations for years. 

“These deals are the same deals since the beginning of the democracy in Spain. Since 1980, we are in the same framework,” ANC president Feliu explained while talking about new negotiations that can spark from the amnesty deal. 

“We are so disappointed in these issues, and we have no trust in these deals because it’s always the same. It’s just the same thing at the beginning. Already in 2010, [the central government] proposed a deal about the same terms, about economy and transport, and about Catalan language. There’s always the same thing on the table.” 

An Unknown Future 

How, if at all, will this amnesty deal affect future negotiations between Spain and Catalonia? How can pro-independence organizations and political parties gain momentum for a movement many have given up on? 

Núria Falcó, international coordinator at Assemblea Nacional Catalana, spoke on behalf of pro-independence organizations and how they view the situation. “I feel like people are very unmotivated because it’s been a really long time that people have been fighting a lot,” she said. “That, of course, takes a toll on people; it’s overwhelming. 

“The thing now is just to create hope again and to make a project that’s realistic and relatable, because those who were for independence five years ago, they have not changed their political ideas,” she said. Even with hope for a possible independence, she does not have any ideas as to what the future may bring.  

Journalist Partal, however, argues there is a bigger question to be asked than what Catalonia’s future may look like, relating it to other current world events.