{"id":21441,"date":"2026-05-28T15:58:27","date_gmt":"2026-05-28T13:58:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/agricolaoliva.it\/uncategorized\/how-to-avoid-food-waste-and-be-sustainable\/"},"modified":"2026-05-28T15:58:27","modified_gmt":"2026-05-28T13:58:27","slug":"how-to-avoid-food-waste-and-be-sustainable","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/agricolaoliva.it\/en\/lifestyle-en\/how-to-avoid-food-waste-and-be-sustainable\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Avoid Food Waste and Be Sustainable"},"content":{"rendered":"

Stop food waste. One health, one planet<\/strong> is the slogan that will accompany this year\u2019s National Food Waste Prevention Day, held on 5 February. Established in 2014 by Andrea Segr\u00e8, who is also the founder of the Zero Waste campaign, it aims to raise awareness about the enormous amount of organic waste produced every year in domestic and commercial settings.<\/p>\n

Every year in Italy, on average, around 15 billion euros\u2019 worth of food products are thrown away unnecessarily. Most of this waste consists of fresh fruit (37%), followed by fresh vegetables (28.1%), onions, garlic and tubers (5%), salad (21%) and fresh bread (21%) \u2014 source: laRepubblica.it.<\/em> The reason? Often simple forgetfulness.<\/p>\n

But reducing waste is important: first of all because food that is produced and then not consumed contributes significantly to the increase in greenhouse gas emissions; secondly because it is ethically wrong. It is food that could feed millions of people and help ensure them a dignified life.<\/p>\n

But where is the most waste produced?<\/p>\n

According to some estimates, more products are thrown away in Southern Italy, whose inhabitants, although they declare themselves poorer than the rest of Italy, spend much more once they are at the supermarket. Then there are families with children, who prove to be less careful than single people, as well as inhabitants of small towns compared to those living in urban centres.<\/p>\n

Among these worrying figures, however, there is also a positive trend to mention: last year\u2019s lockdown increased our planning skills. The impossibility of moving around completely freely led us to shop in a much more careful and targeted way, saving 222 thousand tonnes of food and 6 euros per capita, equal to 376 million euros nationwide \u2014 source: ilsole24ore.it.<\/p>\n

This is thanks to greater awareness. The idea that wasting is wrong, and that it is a \u201cproblem\u201d that can easily be solved with the right approach, is emerging more and more strongly from the latest surveys. According to these, 29% of Italians have become aware that they buy too much food; 85% are worried about this bad habit; 84% know they are setting a morally incorrect example for future generations; and 77% are aware of the environmental problems that result from it. Furthermore, 85% of Italians are asking for supermarkets and companies to be required to donate uneaten food to organisations and institutions that support people in need, whose numbers have increased following the COVID-19 pandemic \u2014 source: laRepubblica.it and ilsole24ore.it.<\/p>\n

But in our daily lives, in our own small way, how can we make a concrete contribution and reduce waste and all its negative consequences?<\/p>\n