This is a series of workshops that have the collaboration of the Consell d’Eivissa, whose first activity has been directed to the members of the catering of the social company AKTUA, from APFEM
Food waste is one of the causes of the global climate crisis, with thousands of tons of perfectly edible food lost or wasted every year, deepening problems such as hunger and inequality, and with a huge environmental impact worldwide. That’s why Ibiza Produce, the IbizaPreservation programme that promotes local produce and the strengthening of the agricultural sector on the island, has already held the first training session of the project ‘Let’s avoid food waste: Zero Waste Culinary Activists’ , which has a subsidy from the environmental area of the Consell d’Eivissa.
“Eating is also a political act,” IbizaPreservation believes, explaining that gastronomic activism focuses its fight on social and environmental change to improve food systems. For this reason, this new activity seeks to raise awareness among citizens grouped in neighbourhood associations, women’s associations, senior associations and social action associations, about the real power of decision-making such as shopping or cooking at home. Thus, the first day of this initiative took place on Wednesday morning and was aimed at members of the catering company of the social enterprise AKTUA, of the Ibiza and Formentera Association for Mental Health (APFEM). Jordi Salewski, Ibiza Produce coordinator, was in charge of teaching the workshop, which started with some ideas to reduce food waste both at home and in the professional catering environment.
The Foundation then facilitated a space for participants to share their own proposals and strategies to address this problem. “Our goal is to create Zero Waste Culinary Activists, people capable of leading a kitchen that uses leftovers and encouraging a change of habits in their communities,” says Salewski, who explained that: “Many times waste can be avoided by following a few simple tips and highlighting the importance of buying unpackaged products, resisting the ready-to-eat temptations offered in supermarkets, or going to the market with a shopping list, since cooking begins with the ingredient (whatever is in season and in our pantries).”
Critical impact of food waste
According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Food Waste Index Report 2024, “food waste continues to harm the global economy and exacerbate climate change, nature loss and pollution,” which is why during the training, the coordinator of Ibiza Produce highlighted the seriousness of food waste both locally and globally, and recalled that “in the Balearic Islands they waste 57 kilograms of food per person per year, which translates into 85,600 tons of food end up in the trash every year.”
In the case of Ibiza, its landfill site at Ca na Putxa has only a few years remaining until it is full. In 2023 alone, the plant received 92,596 tons of waste. “Despite the fact that the public data collected by the IbizaPreservation Sustainability Observatory Report show a 7.8% reduction in waste compared to the previous year, the truth is that this decrease does not guarantee the extension of the landfill site beyond 2030,” highlighted Salewski, who pointed out that “food waste, which makes up 40.2% of the waste in the grey container, remains a major concern,” stressing the need to take action.
For all these reasons, the “Zero Waste Culinary Activists” project includes six training workshops aimed at different groups on the island, in order to “transform consumption habits and optimise the management of organic waste,” explained Salewski. These workshops will focus on the 5Rs of the Zero Waste model: refuse, reduce, reuse, recycle and reintegrate.
In addition, as part of this initiative, Ibiza Produce will develop a visual guide with practical recommendations to apply the 5Rs in food waste management. The guide will be shared on social media and will incorporate the participants’ contributions, highlighting the ideas and results obtained during the workshops.
“These workshops on gastronomic activism not only seek to enrich our palates, but also empower the community, fostering critical awareness about sustainable food and the transformative role that each of us can play through cooking,” concluded the Foundation.
