FEBRUARY 2021
Interview with Dr. Fabrice DeClerck, Science Director at EAT
Food systems transformations seem to centre on changing what we eat or how it's produced - how important is tackling food loss and waste with regards to feeding everyone healthily, within planetary boundaries?
I like to say that that healthy and sustainable diets hinge on four big actions: what and how much food we produce and consume; where we produce it; how we produce it; and how much is lost and wasted. Thus to me, food waste and loss is in the big four of food, so to speak.
Are there any new innovations or technology that have been conceived recently to reduce food loss and waste?
There are so many huge and interesting innovations, and also quite a few old ways of doing things that we are rediscovering. I’m always a little cautious about technology since as humans we seem to be constantly chasing the next big thing without spending enough time asking ourselves about the why of technology. Technology is a great slave, but a really poor master!
Here are some of the examples that stop and make me think nonetheless. There’s something for everyone here, and it's just a reminder that we can take actions in our professional lives, as well as in our homes.
The biggest source of food waste that we don’t talk enough about is overconsumption. Many of us are consuming 30-50% more calories than needed. I love food, but it’s time to focus on quality as the value we are after, not quantity. Overconsumption is a driver of poor health, it's hectares of precious natural ecosystem converted for cheap calories, it's freshwater taken out of streams, it’s carbon pumped into the atmosphere. The tagline that we need to increase food production by 70 percent to feed a global population by 2050 is both wrong, and dangerous – it fails to recognize tremendous overconsumption, particularly of environmentally-expensive foods, and foods which become unhealthy when overconsumed; and it fails to recognize the enormous waste in today’s food systems. We need to come up with better and more creative solutions, and get rid of the mindset that 'more is better'.
Food processing and packaging is currently one of the bad boys of sustainability because packing creates so much waste, and so many processed and packaged foods are bad for us. But there are also great examples, such as canned sardines, canned tomatoes, and frozen vegetables, which could be huge game changers. Do we try to convince consumers to eat ugly fruit, or do we convert it into sauces where looks do not matter anymore? If we can leverage packaging and processing to produce healthy foods, while minimizing or eliminating waste, this would be a big game changer, particularly if it increases access and availability to healthy foods.
There are also great examples of businesses of all sizes getting more involved in this field, sometimes even with the help of cities. The city of Gent in Belgium for example, has allocated city land to young organic farmers who, in this one case I saw, were located next to a dairy farm. Because these two farms were located next to each other, they were able to develop a partnership where the dairy farm’s waste, became an input for the organic farm. Before the organic farm was there, the manure or waste was a problem and cost to the dairy, once the organic farm became a neighbor, “waste” became a value rather than a cost.
One of my favorite stories is about some European restaurants adopting “doggie” bags. Europeans really turned their nose down at this American concept, until they began to realize that it was a simple solution to food waste. Of course we should consider changing the name from doggie bag – the French are calling them Gourmet Bags with a label that says “c’est si bon je finis as la maison” or “it’s so good I’ll finish it at home”.
Big businesses and cities are also getting involved with very cool innovations that convert waste into a resource. Some of my favorite examples are rearing black soldier fly larvae on food waste to convert that waste into a high-value protein useful as either a food or a feed. But there really is no limit to innovation once we challenge ourselves.
My good friend Connor Spacey of the Chef’s Manifesto is one of my favorite chefs advocates here, the absolutely delicious meals he prepares with what many of us throw away is astounding (and delicious).
Have you seen any new trends - are people more aware of the problem?
Yes and no. I see people rapidly gravitating to the dietary shift side of the equation which I find powerful. That’s what I love about food, we don’t need to wait for others to act. I can adopt a healthier and more regenerative diet starting today, and within my existing budget, often even with some savings. I’m not seeing as much, or nearly enough individual action on reducing food waste and loss however.
I think that cities and companies are acting much more quickly because large volumes of waste are a cost to them, and thus the incentive to act is much greater. For them it’s obviously an interesting proposition to turn waste into a resource. As individual consumers, we’re still to accustomed to convenience. Just the other day I found last night’s leftovers in the trash because my son thought it was easier to throw leftovers out than to save it in a container so that I might have it for lunch the following day. I’m going to have to talk to him about that!
What is your advice to the everyday consumer looking to reduce food waste?
If you care about farmers and the sweat equity they put into producing good food; if you care about biodiversity, and like me you want to make sure that we can keep at least half of the planet intact; if you are worried about climate change; then you need to become more aware of food waste and loss.
Start at home by being strategic about the foods you eat; think about creative ways to turn leftovers into renewed foods. My wife is a real magician in making end-of-the-week pot pies, shepherd’s pies or stir fries. If you know the tomatoes in the fridge won’t be eaten fresh before they go bad, make a sauce or soup you can freeze. Eat healthy! Not just the right foods, but the right amounts of food – it’s good for you and for the planet. If you can, compost.
The most important is to recognize the issue; after that it’s a matter of getting creative and imaginative – there really are no limits to what we could be doing individually and collectively.