In Slovenia, more than 140,000 tons of food a year is thrown out.
When put in perspective, the figures become frightening: at EU level, the total food waste measured in 2020 nearly reached 57 million tonnes (approximately 127 kg per inhabitant) with an associated market value estimated at 130 billion EUR (Eurostat, 2022). Sadly, at the same time, roughly 36.2 million people cannot afford a quality meal every other day.
The numbers measuring quantity of wasted food grow annually, and 48% of Slovenia’s food wastage can be attributed to primary production sector, restaurants and food services, retail and other distribution of food sectors. About 6-8% of all human-caused greenhouse gas emissions could also be reduced if all this food was not lost or wasted.
And why are we telling you all this? Marcel Nahtigal is currently working on an innovative solution to this problem. He is developing an app; a centralized platform making it possible for businesses to post and sell edible food that would otherwise go to waste. The platform will offer them all the visibility, promptness and reach they need to successfully sell said food, which currently brings them business losses and has a negative impact on the environment more often than not.
Innovation + impact = victory!
To sum up, Marcel wants to achieve two long-term goals:
Food wastage reduction: Since primary production sector, restaurants and food services, retail and other distribution of food sectors generate 48% of all food waste in Slovenia, the concept of handling food offered by the app would eventually enable a more sustainable development across the country and radically reduce the quantity of lost or wasted food. By influencing the wasted food reduction, it will also contribute to the fight against climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Decent meals at decent prices: Since companies will be making profit on food which would otherwise represent a loss to them, they will be selling it by a reduced price. Marcel is in the process of developing the app in a way to further help the most vulnerable social groups. The other major long-term goal is, therefore, to help prevent hunger and poverty through sustainable food consumption by increasing the availability of quality food to those who otherwise cannot afford it.
