Have you heard about foodsharing? If I told you that you can get free food from some local cabinet, would you go get it? Or would you simply want to help prevent food waste as a volunteer?
A couple of months ago, I saw a Facebook post about cabinets that people can take food from for free! In the beginning, I thought foodsharing was for charity purposes, but it turns out it is for everyone who cares about food waste. That is how the foodsharing Facebook group got my attention. So I decided to find out more.
What is foodsharing?
Foodsharing is an inspirational idea of promoting the responsible use of resources and a sustainable food system. Foodsharing.de is an online platform that saves and distributes surplus food in Germany and Austria. It is managed by the foodsharing association (foodsharing e.V.) and was founded in 2012. According to the organization’s story, one-third of all food produced ends up in the bin in Germany alone. After about 10 years of development, there are 450,000 registered users and more than 100,000 volunteers around the world participating in this movement.
The movement came to Estonia in 2019. According to the food waste generation survey, approximately 167,000 tons of food waste is generated in Estonia annually. More than 30 active volunteers are carrying out various tasks in Tartu in support of the foodsharing movement. The tasks include collecting food from different distributors, putting it in the food cabinet, and organizing different events to introduce people to the foodsharing culture. The organization is volunteer based, and the information about the organization can be found on the website www.foodsharing.ee, Facebook page, and a private group. In Estonia, the foodsharing movement also operates in Elva and Viljandi, and two new places are joining soon.
In different places, foodsharing has different meanings for different people. In Tartu, it’s more about reducing food waste. In other cities, it might mean sharing the food with the people who need it. No matter the meaning of foodsharing, we can see that people are trying to reduce unnecessary waste in the world.
The story from a volunteer
I met Sille (one of the volunteers from foodsharing in Tartu) after I decided to write this blog, and I am lucky enough to have had an interesting and deep conversation with her. The story starts last winter, when Sille first learned about the foodsharing Facebook group. At this time she was just observing and learning what was going on with the group. The idea of not wasting food has always been important in her life. She was trying to save food before she knew about the group. It seems like the group was a perfect community for her. So she decided to be part of the organization as a volunteer. I learned from Sille that everyone can take the food from the foodsharing cabinet and everyone can put their extra food in the box as well. The food sometimes comes from different food supply chain companies and cafés. However, due to the regulations from the government or the fear of extra responsibility, sometimes it is hard to get the cafés and restaurants to share their extra food with foodsharing. For some shops and restaurants, it is sometimes easier to throw the food away than give it away. Even though there are many challenges, it won’t stop Sille and her colleagues from saving the food. Unfortunately, the organization doesn’t get many donations or any financial support. The people who volunteer and help are paid by their passion and love of the world. One interesting story from Sille is that a young couple liked the idea of not wasting food so much, and they asked the organization to cater their wedding. What lovely and touching to see how people care about the world and try to save the world in their own way.
Love is something we are always looking for in our life. It could be love from family, love from partners, and also love from food. Our life relies on food, and maybe nowadays, most of us won’t starve from food shortages, and in general, food is easy to get from stores. When we are shopping in the supermarket, we always pick pretty fruit or vegetables, and the ugly ones might end up in the bin. That makes us forget how to appreciate the food we get. After learning about the foodsharing culture, I wish I could also contribute to food saving movement in different ways. First, start with not only picking the pretty food when I am shopping. If you are also interested in being part of the movement, you can being reducing waste in your own way. You can make a better habit of saving food in your life, or you also can be a volunteer in foodsharing, if you are brave enough, you can even try dumpster diving! Let’s save the food, and save the world together!
