18th November 2011
BBC News
Waste food feeds 5,000 for lunch at Trafalgar Square
Wonky carrots, misshapen potatoes and tonnes of food rejected by supermarkets have been used to give 5,000 people a free curry lunch in Trafalgar Square.
The event organised by charities and farmers aimed to show that a lot of food binned in the UK could be eaten.Official figures released this week suggest the average British family wastes £680 worth of food a year.
Organisers want people to sign a pledge promising to reduce their food waste and are asking firms to do the same.
"Feeding the 5000" is a partnership between farmers and a group of environmental charities that campaign for better use of surplus food - FareShare, FoodCycle, Love Food Hate Waste and Friends of the Earth.
It was organised by writer Tristram Stuart, who has described the amount of food thrown away in the West as a "global scandal".
"Delicious food"
Mayor of London Boris Johnson was on hand to dish up the first bowl of food. He said it was for politicians to take a lead and help change people's opinions.
He said the public had become prejudiced against misshapen veg.
"Mutant food, this stuff is great to eat. It's completely crackers that good healthy stuff like this is being sent to landfill," he said.
"Feeding the 5000 brings to life the idea that all food is good food, and every morsel of it is too good to waste."
As well as asking the public to pledge to change their ways, businesses are being asked to sign up to use the "Feeding the 5000 pyramid".
Take note:
It is made up of promise to reduce as much waste as possible, redistribute surpluses to charity, use what is left as animal feed if possible, recycle through composting and anaerobic digestion and only put food waste in landfill if there is no other option.
Full story at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-15772773
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