Transforming food waste into a resource

The book represents an easy to read manual on the dynamics of overproduction and overconsumption in the contemporary society. It highlights some alarming global data and discusses the origins/causes of food waste and its correlation with climate change, agriculture, the growing population and the need for a more ethical and ecological society. Following the first two critical chapters, where the current imbalanced global food market is presented, the third and fourth chapters are devoted to the presentation of some virtuous projects from all over the world. Such projects aim at finding practical and efficient solutions to food waste, thus bringing some hope in the current disappointing food waste scenario. In particular, a deep analysis will be dedicated to Last Minute Market, an original initiative that links shops and producers who have unsold products (food in particular) which would otherwise be discarded - with people and charities in need.

Originated at the Faculty of Agriculture of the University of Bologna (Italy), the project has proved to have economic, environmental and social benefits and, alongside other European initiatives (FareShare in UK, Stop Wasting Food Movement in Denmark, ANDES in France and others), has contributed to a greener economy and a more sustainable world, which is now "hungry" for change. Based on the data and on the initiatives presented in the book, the conclusion will be devoted to the discussion of a new framework, a "new intelligent ecology". The complexity of the waste dynamic processes imposes in fact a dire need to reconsider economic relationships and social values in the light of a new combination between sustainability and eco-efficiency.