The aim of the live conference "Great Taste - Zero Waste" was to promote a sustainable food culture and find ways to reduce food waste. The one-day conference brought together experts and stakeholders from the Baltic Sea Region working in the field of gastronomy, food, and waste reduction.
The conference "Great taste - zero waste" served as a knowledge and experience exchange between the Nordics, the Baltics, and Poland — countries with different historical backgrounds and experiences when it comes to reducing food waste and optimal use of resources.
Much of what’s considered food waste can be turned into a valuable resource. In the EU, approximately 88 million tons of food are wasted yearly with associated costs estimated at around €143 billion. While around 20% of the total food produced is lost or wasted, 33 million people cannot afford a quality meal every second day. Therefore, the fight against food waste has never been more important.
During the event, leading researchers and environmental NGO representatives from the Baltic Sea region shared the latest findings on food consumption and food waste. Possible solutions were presented by the EIT Food community and other experts. The event was concluded with culinary conversations by Polish, Baltic, and Nordic top chefs. The focus was on specific methods for reducing food waste which the participants will be able to implement in their future daily work.
Before the event, the Danish social enterprise Rub & Stub hosted a practical, hands-on masterclass on food waste reduction for chefs. The Great Taste – Zero Waste event encouraged impetus for the Zero Food Waste Manifesto, an open document for chefs in the region to share their practices and ideas on how to work for the future of zero food waste.
The event was organized by the Nordic Council of Ministers Office in Latvia, EIT Food, the Danish Embassy in Latvia, and the Danish Cultural Institute in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.
GREAT TASTE - ZERO WASTE, toolkit for reducing food waste at home and making cooking routines greener: https://bit.ly/ZeroWasteToolkit
GREAT TASTE - ZERO WASTE, researches, and presentations: https://www.greattastezerowaste.eu/
