Organized by Fruttagel, the meeting “Reduction of food waste and sustainability of consumption models as a strategic lever for businesses” was held
- Segrè, “When we talk about food waste we are talking about (un)sustainability. A wasted food becomes waste. The perception of food insecurity is very strong especially in the poorest and most popular groups”.
- Risso, “83% of Italians feel the need for more mutualistic enterprises. Today the right approach to the consumer is not to understand their needs but their desires”.
- Fabbrino, “We need a regenerative, circular consumption model, based on the right price and not the lowest; value must be redistributed fairly among the various players in the supply chain. Businesses must find a new balance between profit and the way to do it. The cooperative world, sustainable finance and large-scale distribution must work together”.
Paolo Cristofori, General Manager of Fruttagel: “Work, respect, cooperation: three words that have always distinguished Fruttagel. If the issue of climate change is a priority also at a corporate level for the impact it has on some crops and for the investments needed to combat it, today we want to stand out by being an active part in the problem of food waste that we can no longer afford. We pursue the sustainability of consumption models and activities related to the primary activity and the food industry. We must create a better relationship with consumers, conveying strong messages that also pass through the fight against metabolic waste”.
Maurizio Martina, Deputy Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) – video greeting: “We need more understanding of the value of food commodities because they have a particular value.
Businesses must feel more responsible and see this value as a new opportunity for development. There are two major goals. One is to reduce food waste in Western countries: reduce food waste to reduce our climate footprint. The more we reduce food waste, the less impact we will have on the major climate issue that we witness every day.
The other big goal is to reduce poverty and hunger in the rest of the world. In developing countries we have the issue of food losses, what is lost from the field to the market. As FAO, we are committed to making the agricultural waste front more sustainable and less impactful, from the first supply chain onwards. The role of young people already in schools is very important”.
Andrea Segrè, Full Professor of Circular Economy and Sustainable Development Policies Alma Mater Studiorum-University of Bologna, Founder of Last Minute Market-social enterprise, spin-off accredited by the University of Bologna, Scientific Director of the Waste Watcher International Observatory-Zero Waste Campaign:
“When we talk about food waste, we talk about (un)sustainability. A wasted food becomes waste. In the last 7 days, in Italy, on average each individual has wasted 566,3 grams of food (last year, in February, it was 524,10). We waste most fresh fruit (25,4 grams), fresh bread (20,1 grams), onions, garlic, tubers (20,1 grams), salads (18,5 grams), vegetables (18,2 grams).
Food waste has a significant environmental and economic impact. In Italy, domestic food waste has an environmental footprint of 151 billion liters of water and uses 1.643 million hectares. The economic impact of domestic food waste amounts to 7,4 billion euros.
In 2023, of the 13,155 billion euros of waste value along the entire supply chain, 56,6% was domestic, 30,4% involved organized distribution, 6,5% the food industry and 6,5% occurred directly in the fields. Data from the private and collective catering sector are not reported: for this sector, losses could be higher than those of domestic waste. In terms of weight, total waste was measured at 4,207 million tons of which 41,4% was domestic, 26,9% agricultural, 24,3% industrial and 7,4 involved large-scale distribution.
The families that waste the most live in the South (591,6 grams, +4% compared to the national average), belong to a lower middle class (+17% compared to the national average), live in large cities (+8%) and are childless (+3%).
The worrying trend is that of metabolic waste. For the lower middle classes, lower food expenditure can lead to the problem of food quality and consequently to problems that are social and health (e.g. obesity). One of the issues that should be put on the government agenda is prevention. In schools, starting from primary school, waste should be highlighted because school is one of the places where it is most realized”.
Data from Waste Watcher 2024 – International Observatory on Food and Sustainability – Italy: Enzo Risso, Scientific Director of Ipsos PA, Professor of Audiences Studies, La Sapienza University of Rome: “From 2003 to today, the Italian middle class has gone from 70% to 35%. The working classes, since 2020, have gone from 17 to 22%. The upper class, on the other hand, has gone from 4 to 8%. Italy is a country of great social, individual, territorial and technological fractures. We oscillate between dynamism and immobility, radicalism and defensiveness. Fractures are opposed by recompositions.
There is a need for good economy and good businesses. 83% feel the need for more mutualistic businesses that are not only looking for profits but that put people and their well-being at the center. 83% also feel the need for government actions to focus on reducing the gap between rich and poor.
Italy is the first European country to feel the damage caused by climate change: 66% of Italians see it as a problem that needs to be remedied. However, 42% believe that it is wrong for green products to cost more.
Today the right approach to the consumer is not to understand their needs but their desires. When they buy, the consumer wants to tell about themselves. We are moving towards the pluralization of personality. People want to tell more identities when they buy because they need to find moments of satisfaction”.
Data from A Divergent Country – Social Changes and Consumer Choices – IPSOS FLAIR ITALIA 2024
ROUND TABLE moderated by Beatrice Ramazzotti, Head of Communications Unicoop Tirreno: Stanislao Fabbrino, President of CEO Fruttagel Scpa and CEO Deco Industrie Soc Coop; Maura Latini, President
Coop Italia; Mauro Lusetti, President of Conad; Simone Gamberini, President of Legacoop; Simona Caselli, President of the Granlatte cooperative; Massimo Giusti, President of Sefea Impact SGR and the Forum for Sustainable Finance.
- To assess their true impact, corporate investments in sustainability must go beyond mere reporting;
- Information and education are part of the cultural process that leads to reducing food waste;
- Packaging, research and selection of raw materials for branded products, transport and logistics, extension of product shelf life and expiry date communicated on the label: these are areas where the entire supply chain must and can intervene to fight waste;
- Communication with families is essential;
- Consumers need to be provided with information that goes beyond the price of the product.
