Food waste and climate change – a highly toxic relationship
We all know food waste is a problem in our society, but the reality is even worse than we might perhaps think.
A whopping thirty percent of all food produced globally goes to waste. That equates to $1 trillion and weighs around 1.3 billion tonnes!
More alarmingly, as food waste continues to grow within this country, the rate of food poverty is also growing. Aside from the systemic issue of food poverty being caused by uneven distribution of food, food waste itself is a huge contributor to global warming.
Like a dark twisted spiral, the more global warming accelerates, the more innocuous global food supply chains become. Subsequently, this leads to more people slipping into poverty, and a more harsh climate for everybody.
To put into perspective the danger of waste, if food waste were a country it would be the 3rd largest emitter of greenhouse gas globally.
Yet, if we were all a little cleverer with our resource distribution, then we could help to feed the planet whilst also playing a key role in a sustainable future.
The figures may paint a bleak picture, but not all hope is lost.
What Can We Do About It?
As a Leeds-based food delivery business, we feel it is our duty to help the local community.
If everybody thought more “locally” in their actions, it would have global repercussions for positive change. Arrow Fresh is a small business whose impact can only be felt so widely, yet as a food business it would be morally inexcusable to do nothing.
We feel that too many companies have a mindset of passing the buck when it comes to ethical considerations. We want to be different to the trend, and in our actions we hope to inspire other like-minded businesses to do their bit to reduce food waste in the industry.
Our Pledge
We have teamed up with the Homeless Street Angels in Leeds to ensure that every last bit of our waste helps to feed the homeless.
Homeless Street Angels was established in 2017, with the core value of helping homeless and marginalised individuals get back on their feet.
Every Thursday on the streets of Leeds City Centre, the Angels provide food and drink to those in need - some of which we are proud to say is provided by Arrow Fresh.
We share the belief that the ability to kick start change for those who are vulnerable can only happen by giving the necessary support to individuals on a fundamental level. Our joint priority is to help stop hunger by providing access to regular and nutritious food at a local level. Giving people a proper diet to function on is a vital step forward in enabling people to feel more empowered and make more positive changes in their lives.
We care about the people of Leeds, and if our local mindset can help facilitate global change to wipe out food wastage and poverty, then we think that’s an amazing thing.
