Report from FAUBA on food waste in greengrocers in CABA
A report from the Faculty of Agronomy of the UBA (FAUBA) details the volume of waste per store and its economic impact, proposing strategies to reduce and reuse organic waste.
Greengrocers have become a key point of food waste, especially in the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires (CABA).
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A high level of food waste
According to the FAUBA study, each of the 2400 stores discards, on average, 22 kilos of fruits and vegetables daily, representing about 50 tons of organic waste per day. This volume, in addition to its environmental impact, represents an economic loss of up to US$26 per store daily.
“Every day we throw away food. The causes are very diverse and range from regulations and policies to consumer and merchant habits,” explained Victoria Terza, a member of the Urban Hygiene Observatory, composed of the Sustentar Association and FAUBA.
“The sampling was conducted in summer”
The research was based on interviews with 46 greengrocers from different districts of the city and the analysis of samples from 17 stores. The most discarded products include fruit and leafy vegetables, such as tomatoes, eggplants, and lettuces, along with citrus fruits and cucurbits, like oranges, watermelons, and melons.
“The sampling was conducted in summer, so we found a lot of lettuce, tomatoes, and eggplants, in addition to fruits like oranges and melons,” detailed Terza.
The research points out that greengrocers represent a critical point in the waste chain due to the volume of food they manage and the lack of effective strategies to reduce losses. As part of the proposals, the implementation of public policies, education programs, and waste valorization strategies, such as compost or bioenergy production, are highlighted.
According to Terza, it is essential to prevent food from reaching a state where it cannot be sold. “If waste is generated, we can analyze if it is possible to transform and revalue it, but the main thing is to prevent and ensure proper final disposal,” stated the specialist, emphasizing the importance of working throughout the value chain.
In the interviews conducted, greengrocers mentioned some practices already in place to minimize waste, such as cleaning and separating products in poor condition and using refrigeration to preserve heat-sensitive foods. Terza highlighted that strategies like dynamic pricing throughout the day could reduce losses by up to 20%. “A classic example is bananas for smoothies. This is done in many places around the world, and there are even apps that notify discounts to prevent waste,” she added.
The management of organic waste was another topic analyzed. Most of the greengrocers admitted to disposing of them in black containers, but more than half expressed interest in coordinating with the City Government for them to collect these wastes and convert them into compost.
“It is an active system, but logistics are complex due to the large number of greengrocers distributed in the city,” explained Terza, who also emphasized the need to consider factors such as available space and food safety regulations when designing strategies to improve waste management in stores.
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