Food waste: we all know about it. We know we throw away things of value, yet we consider it socially acceptable. Meanwhile, somewhere on this planet, our 'trash', could save a life. It is almost unbelievable that it's still at thing: people starving, while on the other side of the world people throw away half of their groceries they bought some days ago, because the tiny letters on its package tell them the food is no longer of high quality. Because we’ve been raised with supermarkets around us, and in many cases, fridges filled with these luxuries. To raise awareness for the luxury we have, we have to face facts and highlight the sad reality behind food waste.
Let this sink in: food waste is one of the biggest contributors to CO2 emissions. Us throwing away our perfectly fine groceries, contributes to the melting of glaciers and the floods that kill people, believe it or not. Imagine, while we find it normal to throw away perfectly packed food, because we don’t really like the way it looks, 870 million people are in hunger every day. And at the end it’s not good for anyone’s wallet, as currently food waste costs the world around 1.2 billion dollars per year. More then 1/3 of all food produced, never ends up on someone’s plate. Why ? Because of some small beauty mistakes, because of overdone quality measures. Or even worse: because there’s too much of it. Whilst someone else is starving on the streets praying for the things we throw away. Despite the magical invention called recycling, despite all these urgent issues, people still somehow choose to throw away something of such value, something we keep taking for granted while nowadays the world has trouble feeding all its people. It’s time to act, it’s time to be grateful for all that’s provided to us, it’s time to stop making the earth a victim of our wrongfully taught habits. We could easily win this food waste fight, if we all try to change our point of view just a little.
Every mission has to start with a hero. And finally some heroes from the Netherlands stepped forward. After working for a company where they were forced to daily witness perfectly fine food being treated like trash, Bart, Selma, Freke and Lucas decided it was time to change. Food deserved a much better destination than the trash can. They started to make their dream reality: save lives, foods lives! Now what exactly did this team do ? They ensured that supermarkets, that were forced to follow certain processes in which perfectly fine food was wasted, contributed to a second life for foods. They were willing to participate as the waste of food is not something we like, as it's both costly and as the definition says: a waste. And that's when their amazing organization was born: Instock. They developed their way from Foodtrucks on the streets to 3 entirely unique restaurants, In Amsterdam, Utrecht and the Hague. The most challenging task was: how to change peoples’ minds? Sadly, many are raised with the idea of not eating an apple when it turns a little brown, of throwing away a box of tomatoes just because 1 of them appears to be slightly 'different'. By writing books and teaching, they spread their knowledge throughout the Netherlands and created a wonderful team of foodfighters. By the end of 2018, Instock had already saved 500.000 kilograms of food!
Not only do they continue to spread their knowledge about the serious issue food waste forms on and for our planet: they also prove that the quality of this food is nothing less than the food we do consider ‘well enough’. Our high demands became unrealistic and if we keep being demanding, within a century many more might be in hunger as we’ve exhausted all our natural resources. To prove this, they are using the food they saved in their restaurant by making delicious dishes out of it. And if this isn’t prove enough, I don’t know what is. I’ve been lucky enough to hear Instocks’ story in real life, and afterwards of course I had to experience that proof. I enjoyed some delicious dishes that, believe it or not, tasted better then I’ve ever had it before. I respect how they managed to turn that something people consider no longer of value, into a true piece of tasty art. You can literally taste all the effort and love they put into the creating of this food, and besides that you get to enjoy the fact that you’ve done something good for this planet, as every little bit helps. If we all do a little, we change the bigger whole. Yet, it might surprise you how much good you do by enjoying one of those saved meals (of course they remain realistic, don't worry, they won't serve you moldy food ;) ). One 4-courses meal, saves 2470 litters of water, 50 times of showering, 1,75 kg of CO2, and a LOT of energy. So, a delicious dinner at Instock provides a lot more then a good meal only. It provides you with the justified feeling of having done something good, as well as surprising knowledge about food waste that changed my way of looking into my fridge. Nice plus: you don’t have to feel bad for overeating, because you’re on a mission to save the world.
That’s why I am hoping to help them spread their message: we can’t wait any longer, we can’t keep denying our mistakes. We have to stop living in this linear line of wasting and producing, and we have to start living in a circle where every end is a new beginning. We have to be grateful for all we have, we have to spread our knowledge and raise the future generations: food is NOT something to be guaranteed. It’s the most valuable thing in the world, and by simply trying to look at it from that point of view, we will think twice before throwing away that salad just because one of the leaves has turned brown-ish. Think twice, act before you do, the choice is yours! At the end we don’t just safe our own wallet, but also the future of our planet and our grandkids. This company deserves to embrace their title of a social enterprise: meaning they don’t live for the profit: but for the people & planet, for a better world. Profit is nearly a means to an end, a way to help spread their message and fight for food until the day food waste is nothing but a horrific mistake from the past. I can only highly suggest you pay a visit to their restaurant. The staff is amazing and they will really provide you with a fresh view on the preciousness of food, while blowing you away with one of their many unique dishes. It’s not without reasons that they’ve won many prices with the amazing work they’re doing for our planet every day. So come enjoy a dinner at Instock, allow them to change your view for the better, and become a food rescuer to do some good for our unique world.
- It’s an amazing life
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