What is food sharing and is it possible to live without spending money on food
A Life / / January 06, 2021
What is food sharing
Food sharing (from the English. food - "food", sharе - "to share") is a movement in which participants give or take away food for free. As a rule, we are talking about surplus products, sometimes - with an expiring date. But by no means about leftovers or about something spoiled.
Of course, people have shared food with each other at all times. But exactly as a movement with its own ideology, food sharing appeared in Germany in 2012. Its founders can be considered two eco-activists: journalist Valentin Turn, who filmed movie about food waste, and Raphael Felmer, who conducted an experimentWhy I lived 5 years without money and ate free for five years.
Why does someone give food
This is done by both individuals and organizations: cafes, canteens, small grocery stores and farm stores. There may be several reasons for this behavior.
They care about the environment
Initially, food sharing was born exactly as ecological traffic. It would seem, what harm can food waste cause to nature? This is organic, it decomposes quickly, does not pollute the soil, does not poison the seas, does not kill animals and plants. And yet, organic waste can be hazardous too. In landfills, they lie under other garbage, and in the absence of oxygen, they form
The chemical life of garbage methane and hydrogen sulfide. These substances are toxic to animals and humans.In addition, a huge amount of resources are spent on food production. For example, to grow 1 kilogram of grain, it takesWater is the most basic, but also the most essential of the reserves 1.5 tons of water. In general, about 70% of all the fresh water that mankind uses is spent on agriculture. In addition, the food industry, like any other, pollutes the environment and increases carbon footprint. If we just throw away good food and let it rot in a landfill, then resources are wasted.
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They want to feed the hungry
Of course, starving African children cannot be sent surplus tomatoes from their grandmother's garden or four pies that you baked in a fit of culinary zeal and now cannot eat. But you don't have to travel that far to help others.
0.8% of Russians (which is more than a million people) lacked in 2019Rosstat reported an increase in the share of families with funds only for clothes and food money even for food. And 49% was enough only for food: for food, depending on the region, it goesAnalysts named the regions with the highest expenditures of residents on food from 40 to 59% of income. At the same time, activists of the Moscow food-sharing movement have savedFood Sharing Movement and have already distributed more than 500 tons of food. And how many more good edible products we throw away every day is scary even to imagine.
They strive for smart consumption
Money and time were wasted on food, and it is simply a pity to throw it away. If one person doesn't need food, another person might need it.
Who takes someone else's food
it volunteers food sharing movement. They call themselves food savers, that is, food rescuers. Food savers take products from other people and companies and give them to those who need them: the poor, charitable organizations. And also St. Petersburg activists prepare free lunches from saved food.
Also, a person in need can pick up food directly through food sharing groups in social networks, for example “Foodsharing Moscow"And"Foodsharing. Give food for free». Unfortunately, this practice is not yet widespread in Russia, and therefore communities on social networks mainly cover residents of Moscow and St. Petersburg. In other cities, giving or receiving food will be more difficult.
How to join the food sharing movement
Don't throw away food
This is the simplest thing you can do. If you still have some food that you do not need, but still good for food, you can post an ad in groups dedicated to food sharing, or in local communities. The author of this article once gave away 50 cans of baby food by simply posting her offer on Avito and setting the price at 1 ruble.
It is possible that someone will respond and take the food from you. Just be responsible towards others: do not give away spoiled and suspicious products. Better to throw away the defrosted meat, opened milk or sour cream. They have a very short shelf life, and it may expire by the time the food gets on the table to another person. Mostly people give away tea, coffee, candy and biscuits, bread, cereals, fruits and vegetables.
Become a volunteer
This can be done in Moscow or St. Petersburg. Read the information on website movement, fill out the form and take the test. If everything works out, you will collect surplus food from cafes and organizations, and then send them to those in need.
Become a partner
If you are the owner of a cafe, canteen, bakery, grocery store, food production and you have extra food left, you can contact food savers in Moscow or St. Petersburg. Volunteers will take food from you and give it to charities and low-income people.
Promote an idea
Educating others about eating wisely and the importance of not throwing away good food. Find people and organizations in your city who are willing to share leftover food and guide it needy. Create local groups, attract volunteers and partners.
How food sharing differs from free-standing
The adherents of freeganism (freeganism) fundamentally do not want to be a part of the consumer society and the modern economy. They strive not to support corporations and not pay for food at all: they get it out of garbage containers near supermarkets or apartment buildings, eating expired products, picking up substandard and discarded goods from sellers.
They get food only for themselves or their family, and do not engage in charity work or activism (at least related to food).
Is it legal to give food away?
Not really. About individuals, that is, when one person transfers products to another, the law says nothing. But with legal shops, restaurants and production - everything is a little more complicated.
The organization has noFederal Law of 02.01.2000 No. 29-FZ (rev. from 27.12.2019) "On the quality and safety of food products" the right to sell (even free of charge) products with an expired shelf life, in violation of the integrity of the packaging and mechanical damage. This category includes, for example, crushed fruits and vegetables, which are quite suitable for making soup, salad or jam. Or foods like coffee, tea, cereals and chocolate that can be consumed after the expiration expiration date.
It is also impossible to return the goods to the manufacturer if the shelf life is less than 30 days.Federal Law "On the Basics of State Regulation of Trade Activities in the Russian Federation". You can give away products for free only under a donation agreement, but in this case, the organization will be forced to pay income tax, because a donation is also considered a sale.
It turns out that it is preferable for shops and industries not to take risks, but simply to throw away excess food. As a result, the trash cans end up with tons of food that someone really needs.
For these reasons, not all organizations are ready to cooperate with food savers. And those that still give productsdo it informally, based on oral agreements.
Is it possible not to pay for food at all
If you live in Russia, then hardly. And that's why.
You won't be able to get enough food
Many people live modestly and are not ready to share (or simply do not realize that this is possible). And organizations are afraid to break the law. It is enough to look into the Moscow and St. Petersburg groups dedicated to food sharing, and it will immediately become clear that even if you single-handedly take everything that is given there, then you still won't be able to feed yourself only with this you can.
In addition, the food sharing movement in our country is poorly developed. Small towns do not have thematic groups or volunteers, which means finding free food will be much more difficult.
You won't be able to eat well.
The Food Saver Code prohibits the collection and delivery of meat, poultry, fish and other perishable food items. If you choose to eat only free food, your diet will consist mainly of bread, cereals and vegetables. And this is not the most complete and varied food.
Finding food takes a lot of time and effort
You will have to run around the city, picking up food offered by different donors, or trying to negotiate with shops and cafes so that they give you the surplus. If you count all the costs, it might be easier to buy groceries than to arrange such dubious savings.
It may be unsafe
Unfortunately, you cannot be completely sure about strangers who give you food. Especially if you are picking up cooked or expiring food. You do not know under what conditions this food was cooked, how did they store, how long she stood. This means that there is a risk of getting poisoned.
It's not always fair
If you are not starving or in an extremely difficult financial situation, but just want to save money, taking food is not very ethical. After all, otherwise it could go to those who really need it.
Do you support the idea of food sharing? Are you ready to share food yourself or get it for free? Let us know in the comments.
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