COVID-19 and inflation prompts focus on food waste improvement in Spain

10 Aug 2022 --- Spanish households threw away 1,245 million kilos/liters of unconsumed food in 2021, 8.6% less than the previous year leading to claims that the country is “on track” in the fight against food waste.

One of the key reasons behind this uptick in the fight against food waste is how households have become more aware of costs with rising inflation ever since the COVID-19 pandemic, which prompted a sharpened focus on home cooking.

The data from the Report on Food Waste in Spain 2021 (prepared by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food) reveals this is the nation’s highest figure of food waste in the last five years and 2.72 kilos/liters less than 2020.

However, the rate of waste in households is similar to that of the previous year, since 4.2% of food was thrown away without being purchased, one-tenth less than in 2020.

End of lockdown shifts consumption
At the end of the lockdown period, less cooking is done at home. Notably, the volume of food purchased for consumption at home in Spain has decreased by 7.2%. 

Purchased products that are primarily wasted in homes in 2021 were frozen meats, sauces, coffee and infusions, legumes and soups.Purchased products that are primarily wasted in homes in 2021 were frozen meats, sauces, coffee and infusions, legumes and soups

On the contrary, throughout 2021, food consumption outside the home recovered, increasing by 10.4%.

According to the report, one of the consequences of this change in habits is the reduction in the waste of leftover recipes and cooked products, which in 2020 accounted for 23.8% of the food thrown away at home. In 2021, this figure was presented at 18.9%. 

Conversely, the waste of purchased food has grown almost 5 points, going from 76.2% to 81.1%.

What is commonly leftover?
In 2021, the leftovers of cooked fish dishes (50.4% less than in 2020), meat (42.6%) and rice and pasta (35%) decreased significantly.

The purchased products that are primarily wasted in homes in 2021 were frozen meats (16.7% of the total); sauces (15.9%); coffee and infusions (12.2%); legumes (12%); and soups, creams and broths (10%).

In addition to this change in habits, the better use of food is also explained by the increase in the price of these items – due to the rise in prices of raw materials and production costs – which raises their value.

Similarly, there is a growing awareness of citizens to reduce food waste following Spain’s campaign launched last year called “Nothing is thrown away here.”

However, the government notes that more needs to be done to increase efforts to reduce food waste, which also results in a lower consumption of natural and energy resources necessary to produce them.

That is the purpose of the Food Loss and Waste Prevention Law that the Council of Ministers approved in June and sent to the Courts for parliamentary processing. 

This pioneering anti-food waste law guides Spanish production toward a more efficient, intelligent system focused on the circular economy and raising awareness of more responsible consumption.

The law contemplates measures to combat food waste throughout the entire supply chain phase, from primary production, industry, storage and distribution, to final consumption in homes and establishments.

Edited by Gaynor Selby