- The FAO highlights that approximately 30% of the food produced in the world is wasted.
- The proposed law focuses on prevention and awareness of all actors involved in the food chain, from production to consumption.
The Council of Ministers has approved the draft of the Prevention of Food Loss and Waste Law, a proposal that was already in place during the past legislature, but which had not been approved so far.
Data collected by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) show that approximately 30% of food produced worldwide is wasted. Although in Spain, in 2022 the total waste rate decreased by 6% compared to the previous year, there is still work to be done.
This draft comes as the first legal framework for the whole Spanish state to prevent losses and waste, since, according to the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Luis Planas, waste “increases the necessities, wastes natural resources and increases waste and environmental impact”.
Thus, they propose a hierarchy of priorities for food that is wasted:
- Redistribution for human consumption.
- Food processing (juices or jams).
- Use for animal feed or feed manufacturing.
- Use as by-products in other industries.
- Obtaining compost or biofuels.
The focus of this project is on preventing and raising awareness among all actors in the food chain so that food is used efficiently, by-products are reused and the food needs of the most vulnerable population are met.
Some changes and proposals for improvement included are: (1) the creation of sales lines for products discarded by aesthetics, (2) the promotion of consumption of seasonal, proximity or ecological products, or (3) the sale of products with a forthcoming expiry date.
This future law has been developed within the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda.