Foodsharing
In Germany alone, around 11 million tonnes of food waste are produced along the food supply chain every year.
Let's take a look at the journey of vegetables, for example, from the field to the plate:
Edible food is already being disposed of in the field due to overproduction and failure to meet production standards. The same applies to the packaging, transport and storage of carrots, potatoes etc. in large warehouses. When they arrive at the shop, they are often damaged or simply stored incorrectly again. If something is left on the buffet at a party, on the plate in a restaurant or at home in the fridge or after a meal, the potato is thrown away for good.
What can we do?
Yoghurt, fruit, bread rolls etc. are usually edible for longer than we think. Use your senses! If you've cooked too much, you can share it with others. The following initiative has set itself the task of sharing food and, above all, saving food before it ends up in the bin:
The food sharing movement
foodsharing is an initiative that was founded in 2012 and is committed to the responsible use of resources and a sustainable food system. Its top priority is to put an end to food waste.
foodsharing raises awareness of the topic among all stakeholders in society. Food businesses, retailers and catering establishments are given advice. The initiative also carries out educational work in schools and at public festivals.
Over 500,000 registered users and more than 100,000 volunteers, known as food savers, make the initiative an international movement. More than 13,000 businesses are cooperating, and over 100 million kilograms of food have been saved from the bin so far. Around 6,600 collections take place every day. Co-operating businesses are not liable for the food collected. This is made possible by legal agreements to which all food savers agree. The food banks are given priority if a business wants to donate food.
The platform foodsharing.com is based on voluntary commitment. The saving and sharing of food takes place without money (source: Foodsharing e.V.).
Foodsharing in Eberswalde
Over 100 volunteers have been collecting from Eberswalde businesses since 2017. over 1000 collections were made in 2022. Over 34 tonnes of food were saved from going to waste. After the collections, the food is either utilised by the donors themselves, distributed privately or publicly via a fair distributor. New collaborations are prepared, educational work is planned and new members are trained at regular meetings and in working groups.
A Fairteiler is located in the foyer of House 2 of the HNEE, Goethestraße 11, where everyone can share surplus food. There are two shelves for dry goods and a fridge for products that require refrigeration.
The city of Eberswalde and foodsharing Eberswalde act together!
The city of Eberswalde is committed to increasing the value of food and reducing food waste. As a symbol of the partnership between foodsharing Eberswalde and the city of Eberswalde, a declaration of motivation was signed in March 2023 (see downloads). Ideas already achieved as a foodsharing city are here to find.
Anyone who would like to get involved as a food saver or beyond can register at www.foodsharing.de log in.
You are also welcome to contact the active members in Eberswalde directly by e-mail at eberswalde@foodsharing.network.
Eberswalde is a food sharing city
Eberswalde is an "Energy+City" and "Fairtrade City". Informally, it is also known as the "Forest City". On Tuesday, 14 March 2023, the proverbial foundation stone for a future "Foodsharing City Eberswalde" may have been laid. Following a suggestion from city politicians, Mayor Götz Herrmann signed a corresponding declaration of motivation between "Foodsharing Eberswalde", represented by Mr Milan Touché, and the city of Eberswalde on this day. The former is part of the Europe-wide "Foodsharing" initiative, which promotes the appreciation of food and the transformation of our society towards more conscious and sustainable consumer behaviour. The aim is to "raise awareness of the problem of food waste and promote the sustainable and conscious use of food", as described in the motivation statement, among other things. Around 1.3 billion tonnes of food are thrown away worldwide every year.
"Food sharing is a modern and sustainable way to combat the 'throwaway mentality' of our society. The city of Eberswalde would like to set an example here in order to be an inspiration and food for thought for others. I would like to express my thanks for the far-sighted proposal from the city council and the great commitment of "Foodsharing Eberswalde", says Mayor Götz Herrmann.
In 2022, a total of 102 people volunteered for "Foodsharing Eberswalde". Food that can no longer or should no longer be sold by the participating businesses is collected by so-called "food savers" and distributed either privately via an independent network or in the specially installed "Fairteiler" in House 2 on the city campus of the University for Sustainable Development. "Around 50 to 60 kilograms of food ends up in the Fairteiler every day," reports Milan Touché, "via the e-mail address eberswalde@foodsharing.network spontaneous collections are sometimes possible. For example, if you realise after a big party or other event that you still have food left over. However, there are fixed collection times for registered participants, for example to relieve the burden on businesses," continues Touché. This means that over a thousand collections are made every year.
By cooperating with the city of Eberswalde, the initiative hopes to increase its visibility and expand its own network. Anyone who would like to get involved as a "food saver" or beyond can register at www.foodsharing.de register. You can also get in touch online via the Eberswalde Volunteer Agency.
National strategy to reduce food waste
After the National strategy to reduce food waste of this, most food is thrown away in private households (around 59 per cent). The consequences of this are a lack of awareness of the time, labour and dedication farmers put into producing food. Resources are also wasted unnecessarily and the climate is burdened by disposal.