# Vatican conference urges governments to tackle food loss and waste



## junior minor (Jun 5, 2019)

*According to research about one third of all food produced in the world is lost or wasted*
(thomson Reuters Article on Vatican Claim regarding this very serious issue) 
http://news.trust.org//item/20191112125946-767f3/

Key facts on food loss and waste you should know!
Roughly one third of the food produced in the world for human consumption every year — approximately 1.3 billion tonnes — gets lost or wasted.
Food losses and waste amounts to roughly US$ 680 billion in industrialized countries and US$ 310 billion in developing countries.
Industrialized and developing countries dissipate roughly the same quantities of food — respectively 670 and 630 million tonnes. 
Fruits and vegetables, plus roots and tubers have the highest wastage rates of any food.
Global quantitative food losses and waste per year are roughly 30% for cereals, 40-50% for root crops, fruits and vegetables, 20% for oil seeds, meat and dairy plus 35% for fish.
Every year, consumers in rich countries waste almost as much food (222 million tonnes) as the entire net food production of sub-Saharan Africa (230 million tonnes).
The amount of food lost or wasted every year is equivalent to more than half of the world's annual cereals crop (2.3 billion tonnes in 2009/2010).
Per capita waste by consumers is between 95-115 kg a year in Europe and North America, while consumers in sub-Saharan Africa, south and south-eastern Asia, each throw away only 6-11 kg a year.
Per capita food losses and waste, at consumption and pre-consumptions stages,
in different regions



Total per capita food production for human consumption is about 900 kg a year in rich countries, almost twice the 460 kg a year produced in the poorest regions.
In developing countries 40% of losses occur at post-harvest and processing levels while in industrialized countries more than 40% of losses happen at retail and consumer levels.
At retail level, large quantities of food are wasted due to quality standards that over-emphasize appearance.
Food loss and waste also amount to a major squandering of resources, including water, land, energy, labour and capital and needlessly produce greenhouse gas emissions, contributing to global warming and climate change.
In developing countries food waste and losses occur mainly at early stages of the food value chain and can be traced back to financial, managerial and technical constraints in harvesting techniques as well as storage and cooling facilities. Strengthening the supply chain through the direct support of farmers and investments in infrastructure, transportation, as well as in an expansion of the food and packaging industry could help to reduce the amount of food loss and waste.
In medium- and high-income countries food is wasted and lost mainly at later stages in the supply chain. Differing from the situation in developing countries, the behaviour of consumers plays a huge part in industrialized countries. The study identified a lack of coordination between actors in the supply chain as a contributing factor. Farmer-buyer agreements can be helpful to increase the level of coordination. Additionally, raising awareness among industries, retailers and consumers as well as finding beneficial use for food that is presently thrown away are useful measures to decrease the amount of losses and waste.


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## lonewolf :) (Sep 13, 2016)

The churches that are feeding the hungry is a problem. They enable drug addicts by feeding & sheltering the addicts instead of allowing the addicts & the homeless to hold them selves up. Needles are being handed out hand over fist in Canada while the churches shelter & feed without having any work required to benefit the community. The churches that make people wimps need to go.


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## ian (Jun 18, 2016)

The Vatican can make statement they wish. Alas, IMHO they are completely lacking in credibility and do well to turn their attention inward to their own issues. Of which there are many starting with sexual abuse all the way through to, with lots in between, to investment and banking practices.


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## sags (May 15, 2010)

lonewolf :) said:


> The churches that are feeding the hungry is a problem. They enable drug addicts by feeding & sheltering the addicts instead of allowing the addicts & the homeless to hold them selves up. Needles are being handed out hand over fist in Canada while the churches shelter & feed without having any work required to benefit the community. The churches that make people wimps need to go.


In many cases it was the doctors and pharma companies that turned people into addicts. For years, opioids were declared safe and given out in abundance to cure any pain sufferers.

People would get a wisdom tooth removed and be given Oxycontin for a month. The extremely addictive attributes to the drugs were hidden from doctors by big pharma.

After the medical community started learning about opioids and severely restricted the drugs, people turned to heroin for pain relief.

Sorry, I don't think churches are too blame.


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## OhGreatGuru (May 24, 2009)

I don't wish to minimize the importance of the issue. But when read you the report and charts carefully, it appears that losses & waste "at the consumer level" include losses & waste by both the retailer and consumer. But article writers keep referring to them simply as "waste by consumers", implying all of us individuals could solve the problem with better habits. 

Secondly, I would be more impressed by the Vatican jumping on the bandwagon if they would also take a rational view to overpopulation.


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## nobleea (Oct 11, 2013)

This was an interesting article on how a church (not The Church) was using it's power to enable economic mobility and drag people out of poverty.

https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2017-03-28/how-utah-keeps-the-american-dream-alive


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## ian (Jun 18, 2016)

I am not saying the church, and by that I mean the organization itself, is to blame for anything. I do feel that they lack credibility...most especially on moral issues.


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## lonewolf :) (Sep 13, 2016)

ian said:


> I am not saying the church, and by that I mean the organization itself, is to blame for anything. I do feel that they lack credibility...most especially on moral issues.


 Teaching kids that snakes can talk is costing the tax payers a fortune.


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## Prairie Guy (Oct 30, 2018)

lonewolf :) said:


> Teaching kids that snakes can talk is costing the tax payers a fortune.


Teaching kids that CO2 is poison is also costing the taxpayer a fortune.


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## Longtimeago (Aug 8, 2018)

When I started a thread a few months ago on what Green products do people suggest, it garnered not ONE response junior minor and as you can see from some of the responses here so far, many people will talk about just about any other subject they can come up with rather than the subject of their OWN lack of concern for the environment.

Here is a green product that IS addressing the issue of food waste, head on.
https://www.canadianliving.com/health/nutrition/article/this-is-the-juice-you-should-be-buying


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## Longtimeago (Aug 8, 2018)

OhGreatGuru said:


> I don't wish to minimize the importance of the issue. But when read you the report and charts carefully, it appears that losses & waste "at the consumer level" include losses & waste by both the retailer and consumer. But article writers keep referring to them simply as "waste by consumers", implying all of us individuals could solve the problem with better habits.
> 
> Secondly, I would be more impressed by the Vatican jumping on the bandwagon if they would also take a rational view to overpopulation.


Depending on who you listen to OhGreatGuru, in Canada, up to 56% of fruits and vegetables are wasted. While that is not wasted directly by the consumer buying say too many bananas and then throwing out the over-ripe ones a week later, it is in fact down to the consumer in that it is the consumer that insists on their fruit and vegetables being without blemish or even the 'wrong shape'. It is at the stage of the grower and what they can ship to the retailer and have accepted, that the biggest waste occurs. But that is driven by what the consumer will accept and pay for. The link I gave above for LOOP juices is one way of avoiding that waste that the consumer can look at to get around their reluctance to buy a bent carrot, etc.

I agree re overpopulation but that is a separate subject and using it against food waste as if one somehow has anything to do with the other like with a balance scale, is simply misdirection of the issue. If the Vatican or anyone else wants to argue against food waste, that is a good thing. If they ALSO want to argue against overpopulation that is also a good thing. But not doing the latter does not diminish the value of doing the former.


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## Prairie Guy (Oct 30, 2018)

Longtimeago said:


> Depending on who you listen to OhGreatGuru, in Canada, up to 56% of fruits and vegetables are wasted. While that is not wasted directly by the consumer buying say too many bananas and then throwing out the over-ripe ones a week later, it is in fact down to the consumer in that it is the consumer that insists on their fruit and vegetables being without blemish or even the 'wrong shape'. It is at the stage of the grower and what they can ship to the retailer and have accepted, that the biggest waste occurs.


56% seems like a lot. I have always assumed the majority of the less visually appealing fruits and vegetables were used in other products.


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## Longtimeago (Aug 8, 2018)

Yes it is indeed a lot. The percentage varies depending on who you talk/listen to Prairie Guy but regardless of the exact percentage, it is higher than I am sure most people would ever imagine. 

Read here: https://loopmission.com/

https://www.canadianliving.com/health/nutrition/article/this-is-the-juice-you-should-be-buying

https://foodism.to/drink/bottle-service-loop-juice/

Some is used in other products, some is given to food banks, etc. but nevertheless, a great deal is simply dumped into landfill sites.


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## Plugging Along (Jan 3, 2011)

One of the worst culprits of food waste is buying pre-cut fruits and veggies trays and containers. I found out that one is not only paying to have the convenience of fruit and veggies wash and cut, but they only take the 'perfect' part of the produce, and throw out the ends, even though edible. If fruit isn't to the right ripeness, and they cut it, they just throw it out. A water melon is more than 50% thrown out, that's IF it makes it for cutting.


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## Beaver101 (Nov 14, 2011)

As a priority, I would be more concerned with the continuous contamination of Mother Earth (eg. plastics on land/ocean, polluted/toxic air/water, etc.) than with the amount of food wasted since eventually"all that wasted food" that we're feeding on are/will be fully contaminated. 

Besides, the businesses (with their shareholders, management, employees, et al) in the foodchain will not be happy if nothing gets wasted. No winners in this war.


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## jargey3000 (Jan 25, 2011)

I've long thought it would be nice if we could get some of the energy of the climate change front re-directed to focus on reducing world hunger instead of (vainly?) trying to alter Mother Nature's course.


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## Beaver101 (Nov 14, 2011)

^ I don't think we can alter Mother Nature's course, no matter how hard we try. We might be able to delay the inevitable - when earth becomes inhabitable. Or if we get lucky, an asteroid hits and all life gets wiped out.


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## lonewolf :) (Sep 13, 2016)

The Vatican scientists came to the conclusion that man was causing global warming. Since we burn our food to reduce co2 the Vatican is part of the problem in wasting food. 

Faith the antitheses of reason faith makes for bogus science. Truth is needed for survival mans biological distinguishable trait is reason which is needed to obtain truth.

The animals in the forest do not eat all the food in the forest. Why does the Vatican think man can eat all the food in the world. More food can also be grown


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## Longtimeago (Aug 8, 2018)

Beaver101 said:


> As a priority, I would be more concerned with the continuous contamination of Mother Earth (eg. plastics on land/ocean, polluted/toxic air/water, etc.) than with the amount of food wasted since eventually"all that wasted food" that we're feeding on are/will be fully contaminated.
> 
> Besides, the businesses (with their shareholders, management, employees, et al) in the foodchain will not be happy if nothing gets wasted. No winners in this war.


As a 'priority' I might agree Beaver101, but only as a priority. It is not an 'either/or' thing, it is an AND thing. You can prioritize plastics etc. AND also look at reducing food waste.


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## Longtimeago (Aug 8, 2018)

jargey3000 said:


> I've long thought it would be nice if we could get some of the energy of the climate change front re-directed to focus on reducing world hunger instead of (vainly?) trying to alter Mother Nature's course.


Would we have an issue with world hunger if we dealt with population growth jargey3000? Population growth is in fact the real elephant in the room but it is a subject no one wants to touch. https://www.businessinsider.com/population-growth-must-stop-2010-7


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## ian (Jun 18, 2016)

So perhaps the Vatican could be proponents of reducing food waste AND birth control instead of picking and choosing the causes and the methods by which they want to solve challenges. 

.....Aad they could combine birth control with the fight against the rising rate of HIV in some countries.


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## jargey3000 (Jan 25, 2011)

^^^....the words "vatican" and " birth control" cannot be used in the same sentence...


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## junior minor (Jun 5, 2019)

Longtimeago said:


> Would we have an issue with world hunger if we dealt with population growth jargey3000? Population growth is in fact the real elephant in the room but it is a subject no one wants to touch. https://www.businessinsider.com/population-growth-must-stop-2010-7


well said, Longtimeago, I will look up your thread on environnemental issues. Didn't mean to ignore you and I appreciate your feedback. I did start this thread because I know lots of people are going hungry worldwide, we all know that sending money and resources doesn't solve the problem. I'm not trying to guilt trip anyone here just because we go to sleep with our belly fulls, while others don't. 

Interesting replies. I'm not a bible thumper and am fully aware that this forum has nothing to do with religious issues like the aforementioned one. 

Both of your points are very valid. 
https://reliefweb.int/report/world/food-waste-enough-feed-world-s-hungry-four-times-over
https://www.worldpopulationbalance.org/story/overpopulation-solvable


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## Longtimeago (Aug 8, 2018)

I have learned never to voice an opinion out loud about some topics junior minor because they are just too inflamatory. If I suggest, 'stop sending food and money and start sending condoms', even my own wife gets angry with me. 

But the fact is, population growth is the root of a lot of problems. It is not a problem however that many people are willing to acknowledge or discuss RATIONALLY. As the saying goes, 'when emotion comes in the door, logic goes out the window.' That is the case on the issue of population growth. People get emotional and ignore logic. 

The other truism that I think applies is, 'insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results'. If you keep feeding starving kids in Africa what you have taught their parents is that if they can't afford to feed their kids, someone else will feed them for them. What lesson would they be taught if others stopped feeding their kids? The emphasis should be on educating the parents on being responsible for their own kids or not have them. 

When is the last time you saw a TV ad along the lines of, 'we are a charity that educates adults on why they should not bring children into the world they cannot afford to feed.' What we get instead is ads for charities that show you pictures of starving kids and try to guilt trip you into sending them money to feed them. These ads are particularly prevalent around Xmas, Easter, etc. if you have noticed. Guilt, guilt, feel the guilt as you stuff your face with the overabundance of food you can afford and throw away your leftovers a starving child could live on. Oh, the guilt you must feel, quick, send us a cheque or you can just pick up your phone and give us your credit card number, see how easy we make it for you to get rid of your guilt. Just dial 1-800- guilt free.


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## Mukhang pera (Feb 26, 2016)

Longtimeago said:


> I
> But the fact is, population growth is the root of a lot of problems.


How can that be? Canada pays poor people to have more kids does it not? It must be that the world needs more people.


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## humble_pie (Jun 7, 2009)

Plugging Along said:


> One of the worst culprits of food waste is buying pre-cut fruits and veggies trays and containers. I found out that one is not only paying to have the convenience of fruit and veggies wash and cut, but they only take the 'perfect' part of the produce, and throw out the ends, even though edible. If fruit isn't to the right ripeness, and they cut it, they just throw it out. A water melon is more than 50% thrown out, that's IF it makes it for cutting.



didn't we have this convo though when you were saying prepared meal kits are OK & i was saying No too expensive, too wasteful plus what's worse is that as soon as you cut or peel a fruit or a vegetable, the vitamins & the enzymes start to die or deteriorate as oxygen & light hit the plant's interior.

in effect we should go back to gran's era. Buy/store sacs of fresh veggz in their skins, even w mud on. Prepare & cook only as needed. Compost all parings & scraps.


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## ian (Jun 18, 2016)

I do not care what the Vatican or the Vatican Conference says about anything.

From my perspective they lost all credibility years ago. Saying they are hypocrites would be an understatement.


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## Plugging Along (Jan 3, 2011)

humble_pie said:


> didn't we have this convo though when you were saying prepared meal kits are OK & i was saying No too expensive, too wasteful plus what's worse is that as soon as you cut or peel a fruit or a vegetable, the vitamins & the enzymes start to die or deteriorate as oxygen & light hit the plant's interior.
> 
> in effect we should go back to gran's era. Buy/store sacs of fresh veggz in their skins, even w mud on. Prepare & cook only as needed. Compost all parings & scraps.


From what I know it is a little different between buying a tray of cut up fruit that has been cut up at the store and some of the meal kits. At the grocery store (at least the ones my contact worked at as a tray preparer), if they get cut into a melon or a piece of fruit that doesn't make the standard, pretty much the whole thing goes into the garbage. She was telling me sometimes up to 40 or 50% of the fruit wont make it after it gets cut. She said for staff often it's easier to throw the whole melon away than to try and salvage the best parts. Hence the high prices. 

For the meals kits that I have looked into (but I know not all do this), there is much less waste on the food production side as they do source very high quality produce, it's not fruits usually, and it's the same produce you would prepare at home, they don't have the same issues with cutting in and through a whole melon away. Essentially, they are buying in bulking and repackaging the food and preparing where possible. Where there is less waste is when you buy too much at home (I am thinking fresh herbs) and them some of it goes to waste. I have found with the meal kits, I believe that have less wastage, however, they do have more packaging, which is a different problem.

I recognize that there is waste in both prepared fruit trays and meal kits. I was just surprised how much for the fruit trays. I generally try to not buy fruit trays for that reason, but have on occasion if in a rush or jam. I usually buy in bulk fresh foods, and do my own prep but I still buy meal kits when I know I have particularly busy weeks and need my kids to do the main cooking. I am by no means perfect in my consumption and waste, but try to be at least informed when I make my decisions.


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## OptsyEagle (Nov 29, 2009)

ian said:


> I do not care what the Vatican or the Vatican Conference says about anything.
> 
> From my perspective they lost all credibility years ago. Saying they are hypocrites would be an understatement.


I noticed on my Bell Fibe TV guide today, that the movie "*Spotlight*" is playing today/tonight on TV. For anyone interested, it is a very good overview of the Boston Globe's valiant efforts to uncover and make public to the world, the child sexual abuse that was running way too rampant, within the Catholic church.


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## ian (Jun 18, 2016)

Exactly. Child sexual abuse right up to the level of Cardinal. Spiriting money out of the US out of reach of litigation procedures and judgement. Knowingly lying to the courts and failure to produce certain documentation. 

The ONLY faith organization who has refused to pay back their agreed to share of the Gov’t settlement of residential homes. Other faith groups in Canada sold assets to meet their obligations.

Not to mention ‘washing’ money through the Vatican Bank for the mafia and other assorted criminal organizations. The Italian Financial police cannot keep up with raiding the bank and the offices of various Bishops and other officials to satisfy search warrants.

And we should take them seriously?


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## Longtimeago (Aug 8, 2018)

There is a difference between the Pope calling attention to food waste and any other negative activities of individuals in the church. You do not reply to one issue with facts from another issue. 

I am not a catholic nor do I consider myself a religious person at all but I am someone who addresses each issue individually on its own merits. If there are people who listen to the Pope, whether you do or not, do you not consider it a positive thing if he speaks out against food waste? 

Speaking against food waste has NOTHING whatsoever to do with sex abuse or money for residential homes. Address the topic or start a new thread on the topic you want to comment on.


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## smihaila (Apr 6, 2009)

Longtimeago said:


> Would we have an issue with world hunger if we dealt with population growth jargey3000? Population growth is in fact the real elephant in the room but it is a subject no one wants to touch. https://www.businessinsider.com/population-growth-must-stop-2010-7


Let's start with you...


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