Discover the causes and impact of food waste, and learn how you can tackle it on a personal, community, and national level. Explore how combatting food waste and food loss can help the environment. The significant contribution the food system makes to climate change is widely recognised, and consumers are increasingly concerned about food waste. On this course, you’ll explore how you – as a consumer – can act and inspire others to reduce food waste effectively and sustainably.
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You’ll learn what food waste is, and why it matters, and gain practical information on how to be an agent of change both personally and politically.
You’ll discover how the circular economy provides a framework for discovering solutions to this issue, and hear from companies that are making a difference.
What topics will you cover?
- The difference between food loss and food waste
- The environmental, social and economic impacts of food waste and the effect on climate change
- How common retail systems and the expectation of abundance and choice has resulted in the current situation
- Practical ideas for reducing food waste at home
- Innovative products and services that will help reduce waste in supermarkets
- How to lobby governments and national organisations to effect change
What will you achieve?
By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...
- Evaluate the causes of food loss and food waste and assess the effect on the planet in terms of food security, sustainability and climate change
- Reflect on your own personal contribution to the problem and explore the potential of the waste hierarchy and the circular economy to suggest solutions
- Investigate how changes in the way we shop, cook and store food can help reduce food waste
- Collaborate to produce actionable changes that can make an impact on your own community
- Compare the practices of different retailers and discover the innovations that are helping them to reduce waste
- Engage with the policies of national governments and the EU and help improve the sustainability of the food system in your country
Who is the course for?
This course would appeal to environmentally conscious citizens who are worried about the way the Earth’s resources are currently being used and want to get a better understanding of the problem in order to take action to tackle it.
This would include employees in the food sector, restaurant owners and chefs, and concerned consumers.
