FOOD WASTE AND SOCIAL IMPACTS

摘要

Food waste is not only a problem to waste management but also of importance to global food security and good environmental governance. Some estimates suggest that worldwide edible food waste could account for a third to a half of the current food production. At the same time, the reduction of post-harvest and consumer food waste offers potential social and environmental gains. For example, the donation and distribution of food which is not marketable to deprived people has a positive impact on the individual situation of millions of people in the world. But there could be also other positive or negative social impacts of food waste on human mankind which are not assessed so far. The redistribution of food to social deprived people could increase individual food security due to the food which is offered directly. But there are also other indirect impacts as the clients of food banks and similar organisations may use the saved money for other expenses. According to a client s questionnaire conducted by a Viennese welfare organisation, that clients spend the saved money to pay the rent for their accommodation, to cover the running costs, to offer addition education for their children or for cultural participation. This means that an indirect impact from food donation on those people is that they are able to better cope with financial restrictions and decrease the danger of getting homeless.