1. The Environmental Cost -The Greenhouse Effect Both carbon dioxide and methane are powerful greenhouse gases which contribute to global warming.

2. The Environmental Cost: Global Warming If global warming continues unchecked, it will cause severe natural and societal impacts.

3. The Environmental Cost: Reusing food waste
It is not all doom and gloom. Many residents of Malta participate in the organic waste collection, organized by WasteServ. This is then taken to the Sant Antnin Recycling Plant in Marsaskala, where the methane gas, released from the rotting food, is used as a fuel to produce heat and electricity. This electricity is fed into the National Grid and contributes to Malta’s renewable energy target.
We need to roll this out to all areas of Malta.
But, of course, REDUCING food waste should always come first!

4. The Human Cost of Food Waste
One third of all food goes to waste, the vast majority before it even leaves the farm.
In Kenya as much as 50% of the food grown for Europe is wasted.
Many farm workers are paid very little and their jobs are insecure.
66 million children go hungry every day.

5. The Human Cost: Why is all this food wasted?
Many supermarkets will refuse perfectly edible food because they insist on certain shapes and colours. Many will cancel orders at the last minute.
Seventy out of 124 households (56%) admitted to not buying ‘ugly’ food in our Glorious Food Questionnaire of last year – Question 3.

6. The Human Cost: Protecting farmers
Many farmers are left without compensation and markets to sell to. This leaves the farmer and his family destitute.
Many countries are making this kind of behaviour illegal. The EU is also working on legislation to protect farmers all over the world.
This link to the website of the organisation, Feedback, outlines the work being done on this in the European Parliament:

7. Reducing The Human Cost
Some countries have made it illegal for supermarkets to throw food away. Instead they give unsold produce to the poor and homeless.
Alleanza kontra l-faqar have been campaigning for similar action in Malta.

8. The ‘priceless’ cost
And finally, some costs are difficult to quantify. How do you price the health of a child? Or the destroyed beauty of a landscape?
Crop rotation

9. We hope that you have learnt more about the hidden costs of food waste
We hope that you have learnt more about the hidden costs of food waste. As our EkoSkola notice board shows, we only see the Tip Of The Iceberg, when it comes to food waste.
We will be sending you this power point presentation via Klikks. Please sign this petition :
This is the link to the video clip which we will now watch: