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Food waste is a real ethical, economic, and environmental issue in Europe and worldwide. In the EU, between 88 and 140 million tonnes of food waste are generated each year for a cost estimated at 143 billion euros (FAO, 2011; FUSIONS, 2016). Moreover, food waste generates about 8% of greenhouse emissions while 43 million EU citizens cannot afford a quality meal every other day (European Commission, 2017).

SAFE implements activities and works on EU projects to tackle this issue:

  • at EU level, through advocacy actions aimed to securing a proper measurement methodology for food waste;

  • in urban communities, launching awareness raising campaigns to promote more responsible food consumption patterns by reducing waste and increasing redistribution and social inclusion.

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At the moment, SAFE is involved in two EU funded Horizon 2020:

SISTERS

SISTERS, aiming to reduce food loss and food waste in the main different stages of the Food Value Chain in Europe through innovations targeted to each link of the value chain.

ZEROW

ZeroW, aiming to be a major driving force in reducing food loss and waste by employing systemic innovation, thus supporting the dual ambition of halving these losses by 2030, as set in Green Deal’s Farm to Fork Strategy, and ensuring the enabling conditions for near-zero food loss & waste by 2050.

SAFE believes that the best way to avoid, or at least to reduce, food waste is to implement preventive measures regarding the EU’s Waste Policy.

When it comes to retail and shops’ food waste, food redistribution is seen as one of the most effective solutions, especially when food waste prevention is impossible or unsuccessful.

Therefore, since December 2021, SAFE has teamed up with Happy Hours Market, a Belgian start-up that fights food waste by offering consumers unsold food from supermarkets at a reduced price. The remaining food is then redistributed to charities to further halt food waste and help out those in needs. Happy Hours Market currently delivers to 8 charities located across Namur and Brussels, with food deliveries benefiting disadvantaged groups of pensioners, children or college students.

Moreover, last May SAFE launched a new project, Healthy Meal. Restaurants in Brussels will be involved in the project and will grant access to healthy, sustainable, and affordable meals to people in economic-disadvantaged conditions.

The goal of all SAFE’s activities is to better fight food waste while maximising the social impact of each action undertaken in the framework of the EU Regulations and Policies.