I do not support this law. One, it should be a business's choice what to do with product that doesn't sell. For another, what if people get sick from eating expired food?
I completely agree with what this man is trying to do.
Man who forced French supermarkets to donate food wants to take law global | World news | The Guardian
A councillor whose campaign against food waste led to a law forcing French supermarkets to donate unwanted food to charity has set his sights on getting similar legislation passed globally. Arash Derambarsh said it was “scandalous and absurd” that food is wasted and in some cases deliberately spoiled while the homeless, poor and unemployed go hungry. Derambarsh – a municipal councillor for the “Divers Droit” (diverse right) in Courbevoie, north-west of Paris – persuaded French MPs to adopt the regulation after a petition gained more than 200,000 signatures and celebrity support in just four months. The amendment was approved as part of a wider law – the Loi Macron – that covers economic activity and equality in France and is expected to be passed by the national assembly on Tuesday, entering the statute books shortly afterwards. It will bar supermarkets from throwing away food approaching best-before dates and deliberately poisoning products with bleach to stop them being retrieved by people foraging through bins.
Now Derambarsh wants to convince European countries and the wider world to adopt similar bans. “Food is the basis of life, it is an elementary factor in our existence,” he told the Guardian. “I have been insulted and attacked and accused of being naive and idealistic, but I became a local councillor because I wanted to help people. Perhaps it is naive to be concerned about other human beings, but I know what it is like to be hungry. “When I was a law student living on about €400 a month after I’d paid my rent, I used to have one proper meal a day around 5pm. I’d eat pasta, or potatoes, but it’s hard to study or work if you are hungry and always thinking about where the next meal will come from.” Derambarsh started his campaign by collecting and distributing unwanted food from his local supermarket. “Every day we’d help around 100 people. Half would be single mothers with several children, pensioners or public workers on low salaries, the other half would be those living on the streets or in shelters,” he said.
For another, what if people get sick from eating expired food?
Next, should homeowners be ticketed if someone finds edible food in their trash cans? People who throw away half a cake or whatever?
I do not support this law. One, it should be a business's choice what to do with product that doesn't sell. For another, what if people get sick from eating expired food?
The idea is good. But who pays for it? Someone has to collect and box the food, and weed out the good from the bad. I don't think a business should have to pay for it. Maybe a business should do that if a non-profit org. agrees to foot the bill. And certainly not the taxpayers. We already pay taxes to feed the poor and homeless. Food stamps, shelters. We already do food drives at holidays. More should be done, and wasting food is unconscionable. But the devil is in the details.
Next, should homeowners be ticketed if someone finds edible food in their trash cans? People who throw away half a cake or whatever?
I do not support this law. One, it should be a business's choice what to do with product that doesn't sell. For another, what if people get sick from eating expired food?
I completely agree with what this man is trying to do.
Man who forced French supermarkets to donate food wants to take law global | World news | The Guardian
A councillor whose campaign against food waste led to a law forcing French supermarkets to donate unwanted food to charity has set his sights on getting similar legislation passed globally. Arash Derambarsh said it was “scandalous and absurd” that food is wasted and in some cases deliberately spoiled while the homeless, poor and unemployed go hungry. Derambarsh – a municipal councillor for the “Divers Droit” (diverse right) in Courbevoie, north-west of Paris – persuaded French MPs to adopt the regulation after a petition gained more than 200,000 signatures and celebrity support in just four months. The amendment was approved as part of a wider law – the Loi Macron – that covers economic activity and equality in France and is expected to be passed by the national assembly on Tuesday, entering the statute books shortly afterwards. It will bar supermarkets from throwing away food approaching best-before dates and deliberately poisoning products with bleach to stop them being retrieved by people foraging through bins.
Now Derambarsh wants to convince European countries and the wider world to adopt similar bans. “Food is the basis of life, it is an elementary factor in our existence,” he told the Guardian. “I have been insulted and attacked and accused of being naive and idealistic, but I became a local councillor because I wanted to help people. Perhaps it is naive to be concerned about other human beings, but I know what it is like to be hungry. “When I was a law student living on about €400 a month after I’d paid my rent, I used to have one proper meal a day around 5pm. I’d eat pasta, or potatoes, but it’s hard to study or work if you are hungry and always thinking about where the next meal will come from.” Derambarsh started his campaign by collecting and distributing unwanted food from his local supermarket. “Every day we’d help around 100 people. Half would be single mothers with several children, pensioners or public workers on low salaries, the other half would be those living on the streets or in shelters,” he said.
I completely agree with what this man is trying to do.
Man who forced French supermarkets to donate food wants to take law global | World news | The Guardian
A councillor whose campaign against food waste led to a law forcing French supermarkets to donate unwanted food to charity has set his sights on getting similar legislation passed globally. Arash Derambarsh said it was “scandalous and absurd” that food is wasted and in some cases deliberately spoiled while the homeless, poor and unemployed go hungry. Derambarsh – a municipal councillor for the “Divers Droit” (diverse right) in Courbevoie, north-west of Paris – persuaded French MPs to adopt the regulation after a petition gained more than 200,000 signatures and celebrity support in just four months. The amendment was approved as part of a wider law – the Loi Macron – that covers economic activity and equality in France and is expected to be passed by the national assembly on Tuesday, entering the statute books shortly afterwards. It will bar supermarkets from throwing away food approaching best-before dates and deliberately poisoning products with bleach to stop them being retrieved by people foraging through bins.
Now Derambarsh wants to convince European countries and the wider world to adopt similar bans. “Food is the basis of life, it is an elementary factor in our existence,” he told the Guardian. “I have been insulted and attacked and accused of being naive and idealistic, but I became a local councillor because I wanted to help people. Perhaps it is naive to be concerned about other human beings, but I know what it is like to be hungry. “When I was a law student living on about €400 a month after I’d paid my rent, I used to have one proper meal a day around 5pm. I’d eat pasta, or potatoes, but it’s hard to study or work if you are hungry and always thinking about where the next meal will come from.” Derambarsh started his campaign by collecting and distributing unwanted food from his local supermarket. “Every day we’d help around 100 people. Half would be single mothers with several children, pensioners or public workers on low salaries, the other half would be those living on the streets or in shelters,” he said.
(knowing our "justice" system though it'd at best be involuntary manslaughter)
The world is going to strangle itself on red tape.
I'd take a little bit of red tape to let hungry people eat. It's easy to say garbage like ^that^ from a position where you aren't, and never have been hungry.
I would rather we spent our time figuring out why people in western society are still going hungry. Forcing supermarkets to look after the poor is a bit cheeky in my opinion and logistically it could be a nightmare.
This is a noble thought. However, there are a couple of reasons why businesses don't normally contribute excess or about-to-expire products.
The first is the safety and spoilage (already addressed in this thread)
The second is that if there is too much waste/excess, then it is obvious that too much was ordered or produced. Management mistake. They are constantly trying to optimize inventory levels.
Third, they do not want any organization or people to become dependent on the charity, they could be disappointed if management guesses correct on inventory level.
Finally, an extension of my third point, This dependence can result in decreased profits by the seller, because those that would normally purchase the goods could just wait and be the recipient of the charity.
Many years ago I was just out of HS and worked for Winchell's donuts. Great job! Except, the company's policy is to make donuts fresh daily. This means that at the end of the business day, the donuts left were either thrown away or taken home by Winchell's employees. I personally threw away many dozens of donuts. I also took boxes and boxes home. (very popular with the family)
They did not give the leftovers away for the reason that I stated, afraid of less profits as a direct result.
I do like the idea of using, not wasting, consumables as well as other non-compostables. I don't think that a govt should tell a business to do this.
It approaches a slippery slope I would rather not approach.
Whats your position on food stamps?
Sad that the only way this man see a way to get something done is through government force. In my area, there is a private charity that organizes the collection of "expired" food from stores and other organizations and distributes to those in need: How We Work | Philabundance. There is no government mandate and yet good work gets done.
This is a noble thought. However, there are a couple of reasons why businesses don't normally contribute excess or about-to-expire products.
The first is the safety and spoilage (already addressed in this thread)
The second is that if there is too much waste/excess, then it is obvious that too much was ordered or produced. Management mistake. They are constantly trying to optimize inventory levels.
Third, they do not want any organization or people to become dependent on the charity, they could be disappointed if management guesses correct on inventory level.
Finally, an extension of my third point, This dependence can result in decreased profits by the seller, because those that would normally purchase the goods could just wait and be the recipient of the charity.
Many years ago I was just out of HS and worked for Winchell's donuts. Great job! Except, the company's policy is to make donuts fresh daily. This means that at the end of the business day, the donuts left were either thrown away or taken home by Winchell's employees. I personally threw away many dozens of donuts. I also took boxes and boxes home. (very popular with the family)
They did not give the leftovers away for the reason that I stated, afraid of less profits as a direct result.
I do like the idea of using, not wasting, consumables as well as other non-compostables. I don't think that a govt should tell a business to do this.
It approaches a slippery slope I would rather not approach.
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