Food Waste

                        "Food waste is food that is intended for consumption that is discarded
                                           along the food supply chain and cannot be used."

Food Waste in Australia has been highlighted by The ABC's Program War on Waste. In Australia almost half of the fruit and vegetables that are produced by our farmers are wasted. War om waste should be commended for highlighting waste issue to consumers.




There are many reasons as to why we waste food is thrown away. On farms waste can occur durinng farming, harvesting, storage, processing, transporting, at market and in our homes.


This has become a national problem and one that we all need to take a stand against. There is so much to gain from minimising food waste in Australia,

• Increased economic opportunities
• Reduced cost for businesses
• Reduced waste management disposal fees
• Increased profits by converting ingredients that are saved
• Reduced costs for households
• Reduced evironmental impacts from greenhouse emissions
• Improved food security

Australia is one of the highest waste producing nations.Producing 18 million tonnes per year which is equal to 3 million garbage trucks filled with compacted rubbish.


Many of our Fruit and Vegetable farmers are finding ways that they can use excess produce instead of wasting it.  In Australia 20 -40% of all Fruit and vegetables grown are rejected before they even reach the shops because they don't meet the  cosmetic standards of consumers.
         

Some innovative ideas that Australian farmers have come up with are

• Upcycling non food products and making Bioplastics from Potato waste
• Educating consumers about "UGLY" produce  and how we can use it instead of wasting it
• Turning waste into a profit
• Using Fruit and vegetable waste for 3D printing
• Hort Innovation has funded aa number of projects to minimise Food Waste

                                1. Production of Fish Feed from vegetable waste
                                2. Serving optimum portion sizes for consumers
                                3. Suitabilty of waste for pet foods
                                4. Feasability of Banana Waste

• Freeze Drying Rejects is a  project by Michael Buckley from Freeze Dry Industries " Joy of technology inattcking waste, because I hate the thought of us throwing out beautiful fresh fruit and vegetables."

           Freeze dried foods were once the food eaten by astronauts, but today this is a valuable outlet 
          for farmers looking to make some money using produce that would have normally gone in the
           bin.

•   From Waste to Gelato

            "We invest a lot of money and time growing, watering, fertilizing and harvesting them, so not
              only is it wasteful, but it is also  a big cost burden on The Horticulture Industry." Doriana
             Mangili from Sweeter banana Coop


                                           

           The co-op has decreased food wastage by more than 90% - maerketing second grade fruit as a
            lower cost alternativeand freezing unwanted fruit to supply a smoothie company and baking
            banana bread.
           
           

•          Powdered Fruit

                   "When we are drying foods and powdering foods, seconds are brilliant because people
                  do not want them and I can turn them into something." Sth Australian Producer Joy White


                 Powdering and packaging of foods are sold online and at markets.

•  Scenic Rim Vegetable Producers Kalfresh have been producing waste carrots into pre cut

           bagged shredded circle and stick alternatives.

• Banana farmers Rob and Krista Watkins have created a product that turns banana seconds into a gluten free green banana flour product.

• De Paoli Family are turning avacado seconds into a range of cold pressed avacado products

      Our farers are working hard to find ways to try and reduce our food waste problem. But what can
       we do ?


                 Did you know that when you throw away one burger that it wastes the same amount of
                 water as a 90 min shower.


      As a school we at Gwynneville have been trying to reduce our Carbon footprint
      Here are some of the things that we are doing to reduce waste

• Composting - Each day students in year 5 collect the food scraps from each of the classes and take it ot our school compost heap
• Nude Food Days -  We encorage the use of less plastic in our lunchboxes
• Canteen Waste Station -  The canteen collects all waste and recycles it each day
• Reduce, Reuse and Recycle is a motto that we try and use at the school each and every day.
• Lessons about Waste - BTN and War on Waste Program

          Did you know that 8% of Greehouse gases heating the planet come from Food Waste ?

• At Home

                     

          The diagram below shows  what we can all do at home to help reduce the waste problem

• Woolworths

          What about the large supermarkets like Woolworths  what are they doing about reducing the  
           Waste problem?
 
           1. Packing "Ugly" fruit and selling it cheaper to consumers
           2. Donate extra food to struggling families
           3. Provide food to Food Bank and Ozharvest




Therefore the problem of food waste is not only a problem facing farmers but it is a problem that everyone can help to reduce but doing simple actions each day.