Food waste in Italy: Scenario and Strategies

Abstract

In today society, food waste’s scenario is increasingly acknowledged as problem that needs to be solved: FAO (Food and Agriculture Organisation) estimates that each year one third of all food produced for human consumption in the world is lost or wasted. Food is wasted at every stage of the food chain.

For this reason, the food surplus recovery for solidarity purposes could be an immediate strategy to respond to the problem of food poverty at national and international level.

In order to avoid food waste, this study is focused on the track of food surplus into Italian distribution system. The analysis revolves around the description of food that becoming unsaleable, becomes part of a parallel distribution loop designed to meet families in food poverty.

Banco Alimentare Emilia Romagna, Terraenovae Onlus, Porta Aperta Modena Onlus are three case studies presented in this dissertation. Their testimony offered a constructive explanation of the complexity of the phenomenon.