London Fields Farmers’ Market to host Love Food Hate Waste roadshow
'Portion control' helps cut food waste
London Fields Farmers’ Market plays host to a ‘Love Food Hate Waste’ roadshow from 10am-2pm on Sunday 25 July.
Shoppers in Hackney will be reminded of ways to avoid food waste during the summer. When picnics and barbeques involve preparing and cooking more food than usual, this can often lead to an increase in food waste.
Food waste experts will be on hand to offer advice on portion control, sell-by dates and storage, to smart shopping – to give shoppers some tops tips and rescue recipes on making the most of their leftover food, whilst also saving money. Shoppers will also have the opportunity to spin the ‘Wheel of Food’ or play the ‘Perfect Portions’ game and test their knowledge of food waste.
Cheryl Cohen, organiser of London Fields Farmers’ Market said: “Our customers are keen to buy food that is locally sourced, seasonal and freshly picked. With the roadshow on site, we will have help and advice about making the most of their purchases.”
Leftovers contribute to £12 billion worth of food that is thrown out every year in UK homes. Householders are throwing out on average £480/year. This increases to £680/year for families with children – or £50 per month.
Wasting food has a huge environmental impact – if we stopped throwing food and drink away, it would save the equivalent of at least 20 million tonnes of carbon dioxide. That is equivalent to taking one in every four cars off our roads.
“The amount of food thrown away in the UK each year is a serious issue. Most food waste is sent to landfill sites where it emits methane, a powerful greenhouse gas. The roadshows are an ideal opportunity to pick up some key tips, on how to reduce our food waste, which will benefit shoppers purses and the environment” said Cllr Clyde Loakes, Chair of the North London Waste Authority.
Councillor Feryal Demirci, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods, Hackney Council, said: “Hackney [Council] is pleased to support this campaign as a member of the North London Waste Authority. By raising awareness and highlighting the contributions we can all make, we can help to improve our local environment and reduce food waste all year round.”
‘Love Food Hate Waste’ roadshow
10am-2pm Sunday 25 July
London Fields Farmers’ Market
London Fields Primary School
2 Westgate Street
E8 3RL
While on holiday in Greece recently we had a long chat with a local taxi driver. He told us that for many years the Greeks had the luxury of being able to buy their meat, fruit and vegetables in jumbo sized packs, using half and then throwing the rest away. Now, however, the country’s economic problems had forced them to face up to the amount of money they were wasting. The result was that they now buy less and waste less. What are the chances that WE will see the error of our ways and be more frugal in our buying?