Copenhagen's Food Waste Crusader, Matt Homewood, Lends Insights into the City's Struggle Against Food Waste
Scraping the Surface: Matt Homewood's Dirt-Digging Journey
Meet Matt Homewood, a British transplant in Copenhagen, Denmark who made a peculiar name for himself - not in the aisles of the supermarket, but at the dumpsters behind them.
With the moniker @anurbanharvester, Matt's mission is to pull back the curtain on the questionable practices of supermarkets, showcasing the appalling amount of edible food that goes to waste daily.
It's not the most pleasant job, but it's not for the faint-hearted either.
Even in progressive cities like Copenhagen, Matt regularly turns up considerable hauls of food, equating to 157 packets of bacon, 300 liters of milk, and even 1,000 Euros worth of cheese that could have been consumed, not discarded.
In Denmark alone, it's estimated supermarkets discard an astounding 96,000,000 kg of food annually. This dismal waste statistic is not exclusive to Scandinavia: in fact, the European Union tosses out almost 20% of its food production yearly, with severe environmental and humanitarian consequences.
Food waste in the EU alone contributes to 6% of its greenhouse gas emissions, yet the problem extends far beyond the continent, mirroring the heartbreaking global surge in hunger and food insecurity.
The Ugly Truth About Food Waste
Matt views food waste as a symptom of a grotesquely flawed system that nettles consumer and farmer wallets while allowing supermarkets to rake in profits.
"Consumers are essentially financing food waste when they waste food, whereas supermarkets profit from it."
"These business models embed food waste as a percentage of annual turnover - between 1% and 5% of the overall store's turnover - into the suggested retail price."
Despite this, the accountability for food waste is often misplaced, with governments and consumer groups quick to blame households and farmers while ignoring supermarket stocks' outsized role in the issue.
"The farmer isn't wasting 10 or 20 tonnes of carrots intentionally - it's due to supermarkets canceling orders, often due to inefficient stock management practices."
Rewriting these definitions might seem like a colossal task, but Matt believes it's a necessary one to right the scale of responsibility.
Excavating the Waste-free Life
Matt's awakening to the food waste crisis came during a cycling trip to the US in 2017.
"The sheer quantity of wasted food was hard to believe," Matt recalls.
Eager to draw attention to the issue, Matt chose the unlikely route of art and activism, creating the persona of an Urban Harvester to distribute shocking images of the discarded food through his Instagram account.
Despite initial anonymity, the leafy, impressive displays of waste began gaining traction, and Matt eventually went public, refining his process along the way.
Recognition came quickly: Matt was invited to speak at the COP26 summit, and in 2021 he received a UN Sustainable Development Goals prize, the Fiery Soul Award, for his tireless efforts to bring the waste issue to light.
Food: The Key to a Greener Future
While Matt's activism has highlighted the deplorable extent of food waste, he is optimistic about the future:
"My primary goal was never just to highlight food waste - it was to identify alternatives to this outdated industrial food system."
By shifting purchasing power through the internet, Matt estimates approximately 60% to 70% of a household's disposable income on food can move away from supermarket supply chains, while often enjoy superior quality, taste, and nutrition.
Through his work, Matt hopes to inspire others to question their own role in the food system and consider the profound impact that altering their consumption habits can have on their lives and the planet.
"Food is the heart of everything, and food holds the power to either save or destroy our planet."
"By reducing your own food waste, you can save money, become more environmentally friendly, and eat better - all while improving your overall lifestyle."
- Matt Homewood, the urban harvester, advocates for environmental-science and climate-change awareness by highlighting the issue of food waste in supermarkets, emphasizing its impact on health-and-wellness through the unnecessary disposal of edible food.
- In his activism, Matt Homewood addresses not only the food-and-drink waste inherent in the current industrial food system but also examines its financial implications, implicating the business sector, especially supermarkets, in these practices.
- Matt's mission extends beyond education-and-self-development to lifestyle changes, encouraging people to reconsider their food consumption habits towards a more sustainable and waste-free lifestyle, ultimately benefiting their health, wallet, and the environment.
- By shining a light on food waste, Homewood also paves the way for innovation in the food industry, exploring alternative methods in line with the principles of science and environmental-science to create a more efficient and sustainable food system.
- Matt Homewood's journey in Copenhagen serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of finance and its role in shaping the food industry, urging for responsible investment and resource management to create a sustainable, healthier, and greener future for all.
