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The 29 September is International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste! This is an initiative the United Nations has started in 2020; on this day the spotlight will be turned on the worldwide issue of food loss and waste.

This is an important issue because at the same time as one third of all the food produced in the world is thrown away, 828 million people worldwide are suffering from hunger – we can’t just stand by and do nothing. Quite apart from the moral obligation to deal with the issue, we should not lose sight of its ecological dimension. By reducing and preventing food loss and waste, we can cut down CO2 emissions and reduce our consumption of resources in terms of land and water.

In the Grand Duchy, our aim is to halve food waste by 2030, both in shops and restaurants and by consumers. The same goes for production; in this sector, we talk of food loss rather than food waste.

The Ministry of Agriculture set up a campaign to increase awareness of food waste, aimed primarily at the consumer. Private households are in fact responsible for 75,3 % of food waste in Luxembourg – an even higher percentage than canteens (10 %), restaurants (7,4 %) and retailers 7,3 %). That’s why the national plan for waste management (Plan National de Gestion des Déchets) aims to halve food waste by 2030.

As a result it’s perfectly logical that the Ministry of Agriculture should be involved in the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste, drawing attention to this topic on 29 September – and increasing awareness for the appreciation of food.

To mark the International Day devoted to combating food waste, we will present a number of national initiatives with a view to ensuring that food does not go to waste.