According to the campaign group This is Rubbish, the food that is wasted in Europe every year could feed the 55 million Europeans who live in food poverty nine times over. And globally, if food waste were a country, it would be the third biggest carbon emitter after the US and China.
In November, the European Parliament is due to vote on a piece of legislation that would bind Europe to halve food waste by 2030. This would be the most ambitious food waste target ever seen, and would set an example to the rest of the world.
If the law is passed, the target will enter into UK law before it leaves the European Union, meaning the British Government would need to change the law after Brexit if it wanted to back down on the commitment.
But campaign groups warn that the proposal could be watered down -- for example, the target could become 'aspirational' rather than legally binding, making it easy to ignore. They are asking people to sign the petition to show lawmakers there is strong support for an ambitious legal target on food waste.
Read more about Sustain's work for a greener, fairer food system here.
Sustain: Sustain The alliance for better food and farming advocates food and agriculture policies and practices that enhance the health and welfare of people and animals, improve the working and living environment, enrich society and culture and promote equity.
