Arash Derambarsh had been seeing the same thing for some time: bins full of food in good condition, thrown away by supermarkets that preferred to destroy it rather than give it away. As a councilman in Courbevoie, near Paris, he decided that had to change.
His campaign ended up in the French Senate, which unanimously passed a historic law: no supermarket larger than 400 square meters may throw away or destroy unsold food.
They now have to donate it to food banks and charities, which in turn must collect it, store it properly, and distribute it safely. Those who fail to comply risk fines of up to 75.000 euros or even prison.
The figure that explains why this matters so much: France throws away seven million tons of food every year, and the entire European Union reaches 89 million.
Worldwide, up to half of what is produced never reaches a plate. Activists are already pushing for all of Europe to copy this law. How much food do you think is saved by this decision alone? Should it be implemented in your country?