One of the most important challenges we face today is food waste, which is often indiscriminate and causes economic, social and environmental impacts across the planet, Agriculture Minister Costas Kadis said on Tuesday, addressing the Green Public Procurement Awards, Life Food Print Awards and EMAS certificates ceremony.
According to the latest research, food that ends up in the garbage can meet the needs of all the undernourished people in the world at least four times over, and that at European level, annual food waste amounts to almost 179 kilos per capita, which equates to an economic waste of 140 billion euros a year.
In environmental terms, he continued, this waste represents 15% of all greenhouse gas emissions associated with the supply chain.
"It is therefore obvious that the transition to sustainable food systems is a necessity. This is why the European Union has adopted the 'Farm to Plate' strategy, which aims at a fair, healthy and environmentally friendly food production, distribution and consumption system," he said.
Regarding the serious issue of organic waste management, Kadis said that the Ministry has promoted and is implementing the establishment of source separation and separate collection systems for municipal waste, including organic waste, as well as the implementation of the "Pay as I Throw" system as an incentive for citizens to reduce and properly sort their waste for reuse and recycling.
What are the awards
The Green Public Procurement Awards are an institution organized by the Department of Environment, in cooperation with the Cyprus Energy Office, and were awarded for the first time in 2014.
The "Life FoodPrint" project contributes significantly to the effort both to drastically reduce food waste and to rationally manage organic waste.
European Union Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) certificates are awarded to companies and organisations that aim, among other things, to reduce costs associated with resource and waste management, minimise environmental risks, improve relations with their staff and enhance their credibility, transparency and reputation vis-à-vis their customers.
The role of the Central Banks
Central Bank Governor Constantinos Herodotou in his address said that Cyprus and most European Union countries have adopted national plans to promote green public procurement, i.e. contracts that include environmental criteria in order for the public sector to choose goods, services and projects with less negative impact on the environment and health.
He said that green public procurement provides real incentives and opportunities to produce new products and services that are environmentally friendly and more energy efficient, which is particularly important today in the face of the global energy crisis as well as the growing climate crisis.
The Governor also referred to food waste in the EU and globally and to the Paris Agreement's goal of limiting temperature rise to 1.5°C.
"The responsibility of central banks is of course not limited to improving As part of their mandate to maintain price stability, supervise banks and ensure financial stability, central banks are now obliged to address the climate crisis as it affects the economy, inflation and the financial system."
Source: CNA
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