Appeal for support/advice for binding EU food waste reduction targets

[Martin Bowman]

Hi everyone,

Martin from food waste campaigning organisation This Is Rubbish here!

This Is Rubbish are currently writing a policy paper to influence the EU's decision over whether to make its food waste reduction targets binding, as part of the Circular Economy Package - and we're appealing for help!

This is part of a campaign This Is Rubbish have been leading, now supported by a huge movement of 48 organisations across 17 countries and over 60,000 people, which calls for binding farm-to-fork targets to halve EU food waste by 2030. We have made some exciting progress already (see context below), and have achieved some decent media coverage including the Guardian. Getting the EU to implement such a target would have a huge impact on food waste policy in the EU, creating massive inter-state cooperation to create regulatory changes that would take the food waste fight to the next level.

Key ask:

We are appealing for experts to help us build as robust a case as possible for two key points.

1. Food waste reduction targets that are binding at member state level, rather than weaker voluntary targets, are necessary to ensure EU member states take the targets seriously and ambitious action is taken.
2. Binding targets are possible despite there currently being patchy data on food waste (see FUSIONS 2016; Annex E p63). We argue that member states should use a 2014 baseline for those levels of supply chain where they have sufficient quality data already, and where sufficient quality data doesn't exist it should be gathered by 2020, and 2020 used as a baseline. However, we are also interested in other perspectives on how binding targets are possible with patchy data.

Can anyone help? Here are some examples of ways you could help:

• Recommend good sources of evidence to back up the above points: This might include studies or examples of where binding targets have been successful, and where voluntary approaches have proved inadequate (or a more nuanced approach). Studies/examples of how binding targets have been set successfully in the past without there being baseline data initially for all EU member states. Food waste-specific examples especially welcome, but also studies based on wider environmental regulation
• If you are an academic expert on this issue, provide a quote for the position paper backing up these positions.
  
• Help collaboratively research and write the policy paper (if you're really keen! We have no budget - I myself am working voluntarily on this - but we'd lavish praise on you, and you'd be helping influence a really important piece of EU policy).

I'm also of course interested in counter-arguments, and more nuanced approaches! Any help welcomed!

Either way, if you agree with us, please share our petition far and wide!

https://www.change.org/p/let-s-cut-europe-s-food-waste-in-half

Likewise, if you know any organisations who would like to sign our statement, please let me know - we're still gathering support!

Wider for the Interested:
This Is Rubbish are currently leading a campaign for the EU to introduce binding farm-to-fork targets to halve EU food waste by 2030. The campaign is really gaining momentum, and 48 organisations from across 17 countries, and over 60,000 people (via Change.org or Global Citizen petitions) have now backed our policy proposals. You can see our policy proposals and our full list of organisational supporters in our statement.

We built some big pressure on MEPs ahead of Environment Committee vote on 24th January, and I'm pleased to say that they took the exciting step of voting for (nearly) farm-to-fork targets, and adopting a food waste hierarchy. This is a huge step forward. However, they did not vote for binding targets (saying "member states will aim for" - code for a more voluntary approach), and they've excluded some forms of primary production losses.

The two main arguments against binding targets are:

1. That it can't get enough cross-party support - therefore we need to build a strong case that binding targets are needed, to build this cross-party support
   
2. That there is insufficient food waste data in the EU to use as a baseline for binding targets - therefore, we need to show how binding targets are possible despite patchy data.

We are therefore building a positive case for binding targets, to influence the European Parliament's plenary vote on 13-16 March, and also influence the European Council.

Any help you can give would be hugely appreciated!

Peace and potatoes,

-- 

Martin Bowman

Campaigner for This Is Rubbish

SIGN OUR PETITION to half Europe's food waste

@foodwaste | 07816088210 | mar...@thisisrubbish.org.uk

[Lisa Ruetgers]

Hi Martin,

It is a great initiative of This Is Rubbish to push for waste reduction becoming  a regulatory requirement.

Please find attached 2 papers, that point out how important policy is in order to generate change.

The paper about sustainable food supply chains shows that businesses aiming to implement sustainable behaviour often hold back because of pressures of competition. Thus regulation would empower them to implement sustainable behaviour.

The other paper states that countries with legislative frameworks to reduce waste, generate 61% less waste than countries without waste controlling legislation.

I hope this is useful.

Have a nice weekend,

Lisa

---

From: foodwast...@googlegroups.com <foodwast...@googlegroups.com> on behalf of Martin Bowman <mar...@thisisrubbish.org.uk>
Sent: 09 February 2017 18:09:50
To: foodwast...@googlegroups.com
Subject: [International Food Loss and Food Waste Studies Group] Appeal for support/advice for binding EU food waste reduction targets

 

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[Martin Bowman]

Hi Lisa,

Thanks so much for sharing these - they both look frantastic, really useful - will integrate into our paper.

Anyone else able to help? To recap, This Is Rubbish are working with a huge movement of 48 organisations across 17 countries and over 60,000 petition signatories to influence the EU Circular Economy Package, and looking for evidence to prove:

1. The greater effectiveness of mandatory targets than voluntary initiatives (particularly within food waste)
2. The possibility of setting binding targets without the need for perfect data at the outset (to show binding targets are possible, despite the current patchy data on food waste across the EU).

Any evidence you can help with will be hugely appreciated, and go to help our fight for effective EU regulation on food waste, which will hopefully take the food waste movement to the next level!

Many thanks!

Martin

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