FARESHARE has added some sweetness to its campaign against food waste, by handing out ice creams to COP26 delegates in Glasgow.
ON Tuesday 2 November, the food waste prevention and redistribution charity rolled down to the Nourish Scotland COP26 Food and Climate Hub, next to the main conference campus, on a specially adapted cargo bike packed with ice cream.
Volunteers distributed pumpkin spiced ice cream made by Glasgow-based supplier Peacock’s Ice Cream, using good-to-eat surplus produce supplied by Brakes.
FareShare’s dessert distribution formed part of food policy charity Nourish Scotland’s waste-free lunch event. Other participants expected to link up with Nourish Scotland over the course of the conference include WWF, Food Foundation, and Soil Association.
Through the action, FareShare said it wanted to highlight what it described as the “shocking fact” that food waste had not been included on the UK Presidency Programme agenda for COP26. The charity has been promoting its activity on social media under the hashtag – #DontFreezeOutFoodWaste.
James Persad, FareShare’s COP26 spokesperson said: “This specially made ice cream is to highlight how good-to-eat surplus produce can be used to make tasty food. It doesn’t have to be wasted.
“But in the UK alone more than two million tonnes of nutritious food is wasted every year across the food industry – much of it at farm level.
“We at FareShare think COP26 should provide a catalyst for global efforts to tackle food waste – and the UK should be leading the way. France currently redistributes at least four times more of its surplus food than the UK.
Pete Ritchie, Director of Nourish Scotland said: “A fair food system would be one that adequately nourishes everyone, restores and enhances biodiversity, combats the climate emergency, and provides good jobs for all.
“Food loss and waste globally has multiple causes, from poor refrigeration and storage in some low-income countries, to us buying more than we need in Scotland.
“Food waste reduction is the quickest win we have for tackling the climate and nature emergencies.
“The Recipes for Resilience space at COP26 will showcase a better food future that many are already building – but that we all deserve.”
Jennifer Clapp, founder of Peacock’s ice cream, said: “Peacock’s prides itself on being a resourceful small business, using locally sourced, high-quality ingredients and trying to minimise waste wherever possible.
“FareShare’s work helps to shine a light on how much good food gets wasted, when it could be feeding people instead and it’s really important that its message is heard at COP26.”
