Food waste is one of the main problems at economic, environmental and social level. Waste is found throughout the food chain: in production and processing, in distribution and sale, and at the level of consumers. According to the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization, about 1/3 of all food produced annually worldwide is wasted. This figure carries even greater weight when we think that millions of people are dying of hunger all over the world.
To waste food is to waste all the water, electricity, gas, fuels, raw materials and labour that we need for the production, confection and proper disposal and management of the resulting waste.
It is estimated that 89 million tonnes of food suitable for human consumption are lost or wasted every year in the EU. This amount is equivalent to an annual waste of 340 million euros and the emission of 3.5 gigatons of CO2e, in addition to leading to water scarcity in so many areas of the planet. In Portugal, the estimated waste is 1 million tons of food per year, of which 324 thousand are wasted by consumers themselves.
Created in 2016, and currently present in Portugal and Germany, FairMeals appeared in response to this problem, with the aim of helping food services sell excess manufacturing, reducing financial losses and the impact of food waste on society and the environment, and helping consumers purchase a quality meal at an accessible price.
To this end, FairMeals has developed a platform where shops and restaurants disclose food surpluses with discounts of up to 70 % and with information about the time when these offers become available for purchase and collection. The customer only must choose their favourite meal, reserve it, and then pay for and pick it up at the store/restaurant.
Learn more at: https://www.fairmeals.com/ and download the APP for iOS or Android.