António Ventura calls for greater awareness in fight against food waste - Communication

Secretaria Regional da Agricultura e Alimentação

The Regional Government, through the Regional Secretariat for Agriculture and Food, has promoted campaigns and awareness-raising actions to combat food waste, aiming to influence and encourage the Azorean population to consume locally as well as prevent and reduce food waste.

“Every one of us plays a crucial role in change, through conscious choices and practices daily. When reducing food waste at home, we are also reducing our climate impact. When promoting awareness, we are moving towards reducing food waste and a more sustainable future,” stated the Regional Secretary for Agriculture and Food, António Ventura.

He continued: "Reducing food waste contributes to sustainability, better use of resources, and savings in time and money."

Food waste is a problem and one of the most pressing environmental and global challenges. It impacts the entire food supply chain, including production, processing, marketing and consumption, with worrying consequences for society, resulting in significant social, economic and environmental costs.

Food waste in Portugal is a significant problem, with about 1.9 million tonnes of food wasted annually, resulting in economic losses exceeding 3.3 billion Euros. Each Portuguese citizen spends 350 Euros per year on food they do not consume, wasting 184 kilograms of food annually.

“It is essential to continue implementing effective strategies at all stages of the production chain. During harvesting, a lot of food is lost due to inadequate practices; in storage, it is important to invest in appropriate storage technologies, such as refrigeration and humidity control, leading to longer food shelf life; logistics and distribution, using appropriate packaging and refrigerated vehicles can minimise losses during transport," stated António Ventura.