Ravenna. Sustainability and the fight against food waste are at the center of the conference organized by Fruttagel

The meeting “Reduction of food waste and sustainability of consumption models as a strategic lever for businesses” was held on 19 April in Ravenna.

Below are the voices of the speakers:

Paolo Cristofori

General Manager Fruttagel

“Work, respect, cooperation: three words that have always distinguished Fruttagel. If the issue of climate change is also a priority at company level due to the impact it has on some crops and the investments necessary to fight it, today we want to stand out by being an active part in the problem of food waste that we can no longer afford. We pursue the sustainability of consumption models and activities related to primary activity and the food industry. We must create a better relationship with consumers, conveying strong messages that also include the fight against metabolic waste.”

Maurizio Martina

Deputy Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) – video greeting

“We need more understanding of the value that food goods have because they have a particular value. Companies must feel more responsible and see this value as a new opportunity for development. There are two big objectives. One is to reduce food waste in Western countries: reduce food waste to reduce our climate footprint. The more we reduce food waste, the less impact we will have on the great climate issue we witness every day. The other major objective is to reduce poverty and hunger in the rest of the world. In developing countries we have the issue of food losses, what is lost from the field to the market. As FAO, we are committed to making agricultural waste more sustainable and less impactful, from the first supply chain onwards. The role of young people already in schools is very important.”

Andrea Segrè

Full Professor of Circular Economy and policies for sustainable development Alma Mater Studiorum-University of Bologna, Founder of Last Minute Market-social enterprise, accredited spin-off University of Bologna, Scientific Director of Waste Watcher International Observatory-Zero Waste Campaign

“When we talk about food waste we talk about (un)sustainability. Wasted food becomes waste.

In the last 7 days, in Italy, on average each individual wasted 566.3 grams of food (last year, in February, it was 524.10). We waste the most fresh fruit (25.4 grams), fresh bread (20.1 grams), onions, garlic, tubers (20.1 grams), salads (18.5 grams), vegetables (18.2 grams).

Food waste has a significant environmental and economic impact. In Italy, at an environmental level, domestic food waste has a water footprint of 151 billion liters of water and uses 1,643 million hectares. The economic impact of domestic food waste amounts to 7.4 billion euros.

In 2023, of the 13.155 billion euros worth of waste along the entire supply chain, 56.6% was domestic, 30.4% concerned organized distribution, 6.5% the food industry and always the 6.5% occurred directly in the fields. Data for the private and collective catering sector are not reported: for this sector the losses could be higher than those for the domestic sector. In terms of weight, the total waste was measured at 4.207 million tonnes of which 41.4% was domestic, 26.9% agricultural, 24.3% industrial and 7.4 concerned large-scale distribution.

The families that waste the most live in the South (591.6 grams, +4% compared to the national average), belong to a lower middle class (+17% compared to the national average), live in big cities (+8%) and they are childless (+3%).

The worrying trend is that of metabolic waste. For the lower middle classes, lower food expenditure can lead to the problem of food quality and consequently to socio-health problems (e.g. obesity). One of the topics that must be put on governments’ agendas is prevention. In schools, starting from primary school, waste must be highlighted because school is one of the places where it happens the most.”

Data taken from Waste Watcher 2024 – International observatory on food and sustainability – Italy

Enzo Risso

Scientific director of Ipsos PA

Professor of Audiences Studies, La Sapienza University of Rome

“From 2003 to today, the Italian middle class has gone from 70% to 35%. The working classes, since 2020, have gone from 17 to 22%. The upper class, however, went from 4 to 8%.

Italy is a country of great social, individual, territorial and technological fractures. We oscillate between dynamism and immobility, radicalism and defensiveness.

Recompositions oppose fractures.

There is a need for a good economy and good businesses. 83% feel the need for more mutual businesses that are not just looking for profits but that put people and their well-being at the centre. 83% also feel the need for government actions to focus on reducing the gap between rich and poor.

Italy is the first European country to feel the damage caused by climate change: 66% of Italians feel it is a problem that needs to be remedied. However, 42% believe that it is wrong that green products cost more.

Today the right approach to the consumer is not to understand their needs but their desires. When the consumer buys, he wants to tell about himself.

We are moving towards the pluralization of personality. People want to tell more identities when they buy because they need to find moments of satisfaction.”

Data taken from A divergent country – Social changes and consumer choices – IPSOS FLAIR ITALIA 2024