Netherlands Supermarket Food Waste Efficiency Negatively Effecting Food Bank Donations

NETHERLANDS - Super Markets are taking the initiative to cut down on food thrown out, which is causing issues for food banks that depend on those leftovers for supplies.

Voedselbank, of the Netherlands, estimates that the amount of food donated by stores has decreased by 20% in the last year. Several products, especially meat, have disappeared from food bundles, which is a direct result of efficiencies in the supply chain.

“Especially now, at the end of the winter, we can see the flow of fresh produce has not got up to speed and our supplies are dwindling,” Paul van Berkel, a manager at the Voedselbank said.

“Even for products like bread, which we used to have an abundance of, are starting to become difficult to find.”

Van Berkel said supermarkets and food producers should increase the amount of food they donate to compensate for the lack of leftovers.

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