The data
Italian Italians? It seems so, at least when it comes to food, our national pride. In fact, according to what the numbers say, every day we throw 88.2 grams of food or 617.9 grams per week.
A phenomenon in Italy, in the case of domestic food waste, which is worth 130.71 euros per capita every year, while the food supply chain in Italy costs a total of 14.101 billion, equal to a weight of 4.513 million tons of food thrown from the fields where it is produced at our tables (and dustbin), passing through for the distribution and marketing phases. The cost of domestic food waste only is 8,242 billion euros. 58.55 % of the cost of the supply chain waste come from our homes, 28.5 % in the food marketing phases.
Abnormal data made known by‘Waste Watcher International Observatory On the occasion of the 12th national day of prevention of food waste, of February 5th.
In the “hit” of what we throw in the dustbin every day we find:
there fresh fruit (24.3 grams weekly)
bread (21.2 grams),
vegetables (20.5 grams),
salad (19.4 grams)
The onions, garlic and tubers (17.4 grams), often available in oversized packs of the needs.
And, always according to research, just as we waste more food Access to healthy and sustainable food is removed: the Fies of food insecurity 2025 rooms of 13.95% (it was + 10.27% in 2024), in a general scenario in which absolute poverty increased in Italy from 7.7% to 8.5% (5.7 million people in 2023) and even climbed by 28.9% for foreign families, and where “relative” poverty already affects 2.8 million people. The food insecurity of Italian families affects above all in the South (+ 17%) and the center (+ 15%), the same areas where more food is wasted in the houses (plus 16%, plus 4%). The report “Il Caso Italia”, on Fonte Waste Watcher International with University of Bologna/DISAL on IPSOS processing.
The challenge
“There are only five years to 2030, and 10 years have already passed since the adoption of the United Nations sustainability agenda. It is often talked about, without ever checking at what point we are really – he explains Andrea Segrèfounder of the national day of prevention of food waste and scientific director of theWaste Watcher International Observatory – For this reason in 2025 the day that raises in Italy on food waste launches its challenge to all citizens: to arrive in 2030 to a per capita waste of 368.7 grams per week, or half of the 737.4 grams recorded 10 years It does at the time of the adoption of Agenda 2030, we must all cut, every year from 2025 to 2029, about 50 grams of food, so as to arrive in 2030 to a per capita food waste that does not exceed 369.7 grams per week, The finish line provided by the United Nations Agenda which required the goal 12.3 to halve the waste of food between 2015 and 2030. An ambitious challenge, in which we can try our hand at a practical and free tool, it Wastewhich every day measures not only the waste of food but also our environmental imprint, the waste of hidden water and the emissions related to thrown food ».
The wasteometer
It is an apppresented with the 5th ASvis report, the territories and the objectives of sustainable development, which has officially become a good practice based on personal monitoring. Adopted by over 16100 users throughout Italy: during 2024 it monitored 23,821 kg of food waste, or 1.47 kg per capita for a total economic value of € 276,429. Devucometer users also monitored the equivalent impact of wasted foodor 185,339 kg of CO2 EG which correspond to the amount of CO2 issued by a car that runs 1,543,572 km; 8,671,811 liters of water equal to the amount of water contained in 4,335,905 bottles of half -liter water and 100,807 showers of 5 minutes; and 186,443 has land, equivalent to the land necessary for 261,283 football fields.
The testimonial
The chef Filippo La Mantiaalways engaged in humanitarian causes is the testimonial of sustainability, convivial accessibility and seasonality of the cuisine for the waste campaign Zero 2025. Interviewed by Famiglia Cristiana, to whom he gave his recipe (Pasta with pumpkin, potatoes and spinach), on n. 6 on newsstands said: «I like to browse among the trolleys of those who shop and see senseless purchases. Better to buy every day what you need and learn to cook with the leftovers of the fridge ».
