Hundred millions of tons of food in the EU each year end up as waste. If things stay as they are, until 2020, the quantity is calculated to rise to 120 million tons.

This waste of food means an extra weight in family budget, and has a significant environmental impact on the resources required for the production and consumption of these foods (transport, maintenance, cooking, etc.) and ultimately against the EU's policy to foster sustainable growth.

Indicatively, for the production of 1 kg of beef meat, 15.000 lt of water are required, while 500-4.000 lt are required for the production of 1 kg of wheat. These estimates show that around 50% of irrigation water is used for food that will end up as waste.

The EU and its Member States have committed themselves to comply with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG),which was adopted by the UN last September (2015). http://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/. According to SDG, EU members aim to reach a decrease of food waste to half today's quantity during retail, as well as consumption.

Everyone plays a role in creating food waste: the producers, manufacturers, the hospitality sector, the retail, and, of course, consumers. Such examples are super markets whose policy is not to accept fruits and vegetables different from a specific weight and shape. Because nature does not follow the rules of retail, this leads to 35% of production remaining unsold, because of not meeting the specifications. However, the Super market TESCO in the UK decided to also provide "misshapen" fruits and vegetables on special offer instead of wasting them. However, it is essential that the public is "educated" enough to perceive it as quality food. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/epic/tsco/10508798/Tesco-ugly-and-misshapen-fruit-and-veg-will-go-on-special-offer.html

The EU has adopted a plan for the new Circula Economy Package, to use resources in a more sustainable way. This means enriching of production with more recycling and reuse, which will benefit the economy and the environment, from the optimal use of raw materials, the decrease in energy needed, and the decrease in GHG emission http://ec.europa.eu/environment/circular-economy/index_en.htm, aiming to disseminate information on food waste has created a place for exchange of good practices against food waste. http://ec.europa.eu/food/safety/food_waste/good_practices/index_en.htm It has also prepared communication materials, such as "What can I do in my daily life to limit food waste?" http://ec.europa.eu/food/safety/food_waste/library/docs/tips_stop_food_waste_en.pdf and videos, such as "Stop food waste"http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/health_food-safety/information_sources/videos_en.htm).

A study by Harokopio University, Athens, Greece, calculated that 5.609.200 tons of CO2 are emitted every year in Greece, as a result of food that ends up as waste.http://uest.ntua.gr/adapttoclimate/proceedings/full_paper/Abeliotis_et_al.pdf

In Greece there are many NGOs have acted to reduce food waste. NGO "Boroume" has given special importance to the organizing and distribution of surplus food for charity throughout Greece. WWF Greece has created the program "Better Life" to inform people for the impact of food wastage, both on the environment and the household budget.

I believe that the most important way of reducing food waste, is through the adoption of a more sustainable less consumerist culture, using less natural resources and focusing on our real needs, with respect to the environment for what it provides us, following the 3R principle.