Zero Waste

ZERO WASTE is a project whose main objective is to promote social inclusion of rural areas in the field of education with contents related to reduction of food waste, as well as to improve the professional development of teachers through the creation of an educational gamification tool with scientific content. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), approximately one third of the global production of food for human consumption is lost or wasted every year. This is equal to 1.3 billion tonnes of food. In the European Union (EU), it is estimated that food waste is around 89 million tonnes, which represents 20% of the food produced in the EU with an associated cost of 143 billion euros. This situation is ironic in a world in which over 800 million people are suffering from malnutrition and around 36 million people can’t afford a quality meal once every two days.

Halving waste food is one of the commitments assumed by the countries that are part of the United Nations (UN) in 2015, after the approval of the 2030 Agenda for sustainability and development with the purpose of ending poverty, protecting the planet and ensuring prosperity for everyone as part of a new sustainable development. Specifically, the Sustainable Development goal number 12 regarding responsible production and consumption includes the target 12.30 “By 2030, halve per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels and reduce food losses along production and supply chains, including post-harvest losses.”

However, the fight against food waste is a shared responsibility of society as a whole. At an individual level, the consumer, as a final receptor of food, must also contribute to that end and it is fundamental that citizens are aware of the social and environmental implications of every decision they take when buying and consuming, change their attitudes and acquire responsible consumption habits. It is essential not to forget the importance of this stage in the food chain, as it is in households where most of the waste is produced (42%).

ZERO WASTE is a Project that is born to address this problem from joint actions through education.

Partners from six organisations, coming from Spain, Portugal, Ireland and Romania are working together on developing
- innovative training methodology for teachers and its main objective is to support their teaching activities in regards to food waste,
- digital toolkit and role-playing games related to food waste,
- good practice guide which can support trainers, educators in their ambitions of raising awareness and introducing in education activities for avoiding food waste.

Website: www.euzerowaste.com 
Financial support: European Commission, Erasmus + Programme
Duration: 1st of November 2020 - 30th of November 2022