DIn June 2013, representatives of companies, associations and local authorities signed a national pact to combat food waste. Since then, France has adopted ambitious regulations which have made it a leader on the subject. In 2016, it was the first country to adopt a national law prohibiting, for example, the destruction or “bleaching” of foodstuffs that are still consumable and requiring supermarkets to sign agreements to donate their unsold goods to food solidarity associations.
These provisions were then extended to other sectors and supplemented by other measures promoting good anti-waste practices. Many establishments are already involved, and the most exemplary will be recognized by a anti-food waste label. Yet, even though inflation is felt on food prices and accentuates precariousness, waste is still there. With over 130 kilograms (or around 240 euros) per person per year in Franceit would represent 3% of national greenhouse gas emissions.
Due to a lack of controls, the obligations based on the voluntary commitment of businesses are, in practice, not always well applied. Some associations complain of having become the “trash” of unsold goods, and of having to throw away up to 20% of the products received.
This is all the more problematic as donors receive tax incentives (public money) rewarding these donations of damaged products, too close to their expiration date, or simply inappropriate nutritionally or taste-wise. Public authorities must therefore control and sanction businesses that do not play the game, provide greater support for quality donations and in particular those of farmersfind solutions and finance technical and logistical means (refrigerated trucks, etc.) to support those involved in redistribution.
The advent of a circular economy
Regulatory advances have contributed to the emergence of a market based on the economic valorization of surplus products previously unsold, thrown away, and worthless. New models (anti-waste applications and stores, optimization of relationships between donors and associations, revaluation of “ ugly », etc.) illustrate the advent of a circular economy, essential to the ecological transition.
This market for combating waste nevertheless competes with certain donations, leading to a drop in their quantity and quality, to the detriment of the most vulnerable populations. This development reminds us that the redistribution of surpluses, however effective and beneficial it may be, is not a sufficient solution to guarantee dignified and equitable access for all to quality food. The fight against food insecurity, carried out in synergy with the fight against waste, must remain a policy in its own right.
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