7 years ago
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France becomes first country to force all supermarkets to give unsold food to needy
Supermarkets in France have been banned from throwing away or spoiling unsold food by law. The stores are now required to donate unwanted food to charities and food banks. To stop foragers, some supermarkets have poured bleach over the discarded food or storing binned food in locked warehouses.
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http://www.independent.co.uk
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I have a friend who works and Target. We were talking once at the amount of food these places through away - it's staggering. Why is this not a thing in the US? Politicians are always talking about helping the poor and feeding the hungry this would be a good start.
It's a liability issue, stores don't want to get sued. If Grocery Store X donates 1,000 lbs of food to a homeless shelter and someone ends up with salmonella, or botulism, or even just a basic case of food poisoning, then you're talking about potentially millions in judgements and legal fees.
Expand Good Samaritan laws to cover good faith donations, and you'd probably see lots of companies donating their unsold food.
One reason is we are a hyper-litigious society. Food gets thrown away after its expiration date. The first person that gets sick after they eat it (whether it's from the food or not) is going to see a bus full of lawyers show up.
Another reason is it is a taking of property. An inherent right of property ownership is the determination of its disposition. The government placing limits on what you can do with your own property is another chipping away of individual rights "for the greater good". Following this path, anyone with a spare bedroom should have to take in a homeless person ,'for the greater good". Same rationale.
I completely understand the litigation problem. But, property? If it's getting tossed in the garbage anyway it's not chipping away an anyones individual rights. If I throw out my couch and someone goes by and picks it up. Great! someone can use it. This kinda of thing happens a lot. If I throw it away nobody is taking it. Same for food that is likely good and can be put to good use.
Good news! You are no longer allowed to throw away your couch. You have to take to a couch redistribution center. I'm sure you can arrange for transport and pay any associated costs, as opposed to just setting it out on the curb and being done with it.
Of course it is so much better to just "be done with it" then be a human and humane to get it to people who need it. The people who come pick up garbage don't do it for free either. That same money can be used to get it to someone in need.
If France can make a humane decision to help their citizens in need so can the US.
Thus my point about diminishing property rights. Who pays those associated costs? Pickup, storage, and delivery. Mind you, it's going to have to be incredibly efficient, as the food is likely already past expiration. The costs get passed on to the end consumer, and most of it going in the garbage anyway.
I've worked meals on wheels and at a local food bank. Every time there is a food drive, we get tons of expired creamed corn and cranberry sauce from three thanksgivings ago. Ratio of what we can actually give out to what goes in the dumpster is about half each. This is a "feel good" idea that isn't going to work for it's stated purpose, feeding the hungry. It might be successful in generating fines though, so for the government it's a win. Want to help the hungry? Donate time, money, or decent food to your local food bank. Don't have one? See if you can start one.
BTW, I'm going to need you to hang on to that couch. You don't need a spare bedroom, the homeless person we are sending over will do just fine in your living room.
Not all food from grocery stores are expired or bad when they dump it. I have a feeling selfless volunteers such as yourself would be happy to donate time to pick up food from stores who are trashing it anyway.
Back to the litigious thing. We asked the local chain stores and were turned down with the exception of the Thanksgiving and Christmas food drives.
And stuff that isn't expired goes back to the distribution center for store credit.