May 2nd was Food Waste Awareness Day in Germany. Statistically speaking, all food produced up to that day ends up in the trash. To raise awareness of this enormous problem, we, along with the Berlin Climate List and our partner Querfeld, held a protest in front of the Brandenburg Gate.
Heavy clouds and a momentous day
The sky was gray and the clouds heavy over Pariser Platz. Displayed food items like potatoes and carrots, along with a symbolic truck, sadly hinted at the enormous amount of food wasted in this country. All the more impassioned, then, were the voices raised in the rain in front of this illustrated food waste. "I can't understand how our society could have so completely lost its connection to food," said Ronja from the Berlin Climate List, the party that emerged from the radical:climate movement and is running in this year's election campaign for climate protection, climate justice, and a climate-positive city.
Together against waste
Initiated by the Climate List, we, together with our partner Querfeld, wholeheartedly supported this important campaign, contributing rescued food and demanding political action. We also received virtual support from many other partners, such as the German Environmental Aid organization, on social media.
Since 2016, the Day of Awareness of Food Waste, initiated by the WWF, has aimed to raise awareness of the enormous quantities of food that go unused. This amounts to a third of our food!
One truck, 18 million tons of food, and 120,000 medium-sized blue whales
According to WWF figures, 18 million tons of food are wasted annually in Germany alone. That's equivalent to the weight of 120,000 medium-sized blue whales, and it amounts to a truckload every minute.
Food we rescued and a small truck from the Climate List were placed in front of the Brandenburg Gate as examples to visualize the scale of food waste. They were meant as examples because every minute, 19 times the amount of food contained in the relatively small truck on display is wasted in Germany – and these figures only represent avoidable waste!
Adhering strictly to COVID-19 safety measures, the speakers addressed their demands to politicians. “Food waste is one of the biggest problems of this century. And we don't have any more time! Today is a day to make it clear to politicians: This issue must be prioritized!” said Raphael Fellmer, co-founder of SIRPLUS.
Calls for political accountability and media interest
The speeches by the Climate List and Querfeld also emphasized the responsibility of politicians to implement action. The Climate List issued a clear statement calling for a fair distribution of resources: “We here in the Global North have become accustomed to a standard of living that has nothing to do with consideration, sustainability, or foresight – it's all about convenience.”
Did the politicians in the Bundestag hear the demands? One thing is certain: our joint action resonated. Not only was the German Press Agency (dpa) on site, prompting reports from the Süddeutsche Zeitung and Die Zeit, but also from the Berlin-Brandenburg Broadcasting Corporation (RBB) . Even on an international level, media outlets from Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan showed interest in the protest.
World Food Waste Day is over, now what?
The food items displayed as a symbolic representation of the waste did not suffer the same fate as the 18 million tons of food that are wasted annually: at the end of the campaign, they were donated to charitable organizations. It remains uncertain when politicians will finally face up to their responsibilities.
One thing is clear to us: We will continue to pursue our rescue mission with you, saving perfectly edible food and using our voice against waste.
Your SIRPLUS team
Photo credits: Heiko Heiter & Jakob Schäuffelen
