Norwegian diplomat praises France for banning supermarkets from throwing out unsold food

Food wastage is a big concern across the globe. While acknowledging this issues, Erik Solheim, Norwegian diplomat and former politician, recently tweeted about the initiative of France towards reducing food wastage. He informed through his post that France has banned supermarkets from throwing out unsold food, and all edible food are required to be donated to charity. Solheim also shared a video clip from World Economic Forum which informed that 7.1 million tonnes of food was wasted every year before the ban. According to the video, consumers threw away over two-thirds of the amount. A total of 15 per cent was binned by the restaurants, and shops accounted for 11 per cent of the food wastage. Now, France wastes less food than any other country.

Stores that throw away usable food are charged heavy fines in France. The remaining foods are fed to the animals as per the video. Now, France throws away just 1.8 per cent of its total food production every year. This move has inspired other nations as well. Efforts are being made to bring the same laws across the European Union. Every year, 1.3 billion tonnes of food is wasted across the globe.

Have a look at this video here:

The move by France was highly appreciated in the comment sect

Lets stop food waste!

France 🇫🇷 banned supermarkets from throwing out unsold food - all edible food must be donated to charity.

pic.twitter.com/ZJQ5LMDcoh

— Erik Solheim (@ErikSolheim) March 14, 2023

ion. A user said that it’s a very good decision, and that the same thing should be done in India as well.

Very good decision. Same thing should be done here in India.

— VIKRAM PANCHAMIYA (@vikram5786) March 14, 2023

Quick Reads

View All

EU–India free trade deal a 'geopolitical stabiliser,' largest in world and boosts economy and security: Costa

‘It’s no secret’: Russia says Ukraine must cede all of Donbas for truce as part of Putin-Trump formula

Another individual praised the initiative and said that it’s great to see that efforts are being made to decrease food wastage and help those in need. He hoped that more countries follow this and take action towards handling this issue.

This is a fantastic initiative by France! It's great to see efforts being made to reduce food waste and help those in need. Hopefully, more countries will follow suit and take action to tackle this important issue. 🌍🌿👏 #FoodWaste #Charity #Sustainability

— Nitin Gupta (@niting786) March 14, 2023

France is not the only country which is taking initiatives towards reducing food wastage. Last year, Spain approved a draft bill to food waste. As per the introduced law, all companies involved in the production and supply of food must plan to decrease waste or they could be levied a fine of up to €60,000 ($64,321.8). Repeat offenders can face a fine of up to €500,000 ($53,5755) for repeat offenders. The Spanish government is trying to massively reduce the 1,300 tonnes of food wasted every year in Spain.