Although this issue has attracted a great deal of attention in recent years, 40% of all food produced worldwide is still never eaten.

 

The May 26th Food Rescue Day (initiated by the WWF) sends an important signal against the current waste of edible food and is also intended to highlight solutions against it.

In purely mathematical terms, all food produced worldwide will be lost along the entire value chain by May 26. Austria records at least one million tons of avoidable food waste - an insanity in the face of increasing undersupply. But the consequences are even more far-reaching.

 

Waste of resources with global consequences

10% of global greenhouse gas emissions can be attributed to food waste, which is 40% of all food produced worldwide.

"This is unacceptable and must be changed; this appreciation of the "means of life" and the resources used for it needs a new value. DIE TAFELN call on food-producing companies and politicians to work together to counteract this catastrophe and support those people who find it difficult to afford daily life." Says Erwin Hehenberger, Chairman of the Association of Austrian Food Banks.

 

Creating mindfulness and awareness

Food deserves our attention because awareness of what we eat, how it was produced and how we handle it can have far-reaching positive effects. Although food rescue must be considered globally, we as individuals are also called upon to make a contribution.

An Austrian household produces up to 130 kg of food waste per person per year. Every day, unimaginable amounts of food end up in the trash that still has a lot of potential or can be further processed or preserved (whether leafy greens, stale bread or peelings, etc.).

 

About the Association of Austrian Food Banks

DIE TAFELN stands for social transfer from a society of abundance to a society of need. In cooperation with industry, trade and agriculture, the Austrian food banks rescue edible food and supply people affected by poverty directly and in cooperation with other non-profit organizations. In 2023, the food banks were able to support over 100,000 people affected by poverty with over 7,000 tons of rescued food. Over 385,000 hours were contributed by more than 5,700 volunteers.

Members of the Association of Austrian Food Banks are Braunauer Tafel | Die Oberösterreichische Tafel | Flachgauer Tafel | Le+O der Caritas Österreich | Pannonische Tafel | Rotes Kreuz Niederösterreich | Rotes Kreuz Tirol | Rotes Kreuz Steiermark | Train of Hope.