Food waste is one of the major challenges facing the food system. Every time food that could have been eaten ends up discarded, we do not just lose food; we waste all the resources required to produce, process, transport, and store it.

In Catalonia, this problem reaches significant proportions. According to the 2024 Diagnosis of Food Waste in Catalan Households, households alone wasted nearly 174,000 tonnes of food, averaging over 63 kg per household per year.

Reducing these figures requires action across all stages of the food supply chain (farms, households, distribution, retail, and food service). At Fundació Emys, based in Can Moragues, we work to turn food that could end up wasted into an opportunity.

We talk about food waste when food intended for human consumption ends up discarded along the food supply chain despite containing parts that could have been eaten.

It can be fruit that has spoiled before being eaten, cooked leftovers that end up in the trash, or food that never reaches the market. On the other hand, parts that are usually inedible (such as bones, eggshells, or certain peels and pits) are not considered food waste.

The problem, therefore, is not just the final waste. Behind every wasted piece of food, there is cultivated land, water, energy, hours of labor, transport, storage, and financial resources that were also used for nothing.

Globally, approximately 1.05 billion tonnes of food waste were generated in 2022 across households, food services, and retail, according to the United Nations Environment Programme's (UNEP) Food Waste Index Report 2024.

This represents nearly one-fifth of the food available to consumers.

Food loss and waste are also responsible for 8% to 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions, in addition to putting significant pressure on land, water, ecosystems, and biodiversity.

Although we often use the two concepts interchangeably, food loss and food waste are not exactly the same thing.

Food loss is particularly linked to the early stages of the supply chain, such as primary production. It can occur, for example, when part of a harvest cannot be marketed, spoils before reaching the market, or is left unharvested.

Food waste, on the other hand, mainly refers to food that is discarded in the later stages of the chain, such as distribution, retail, food service, or final consumption.

Distinguishing between these two phenomena is important because their causes are not always the same and, therefore, neither are their solutions.

In Catalonia, the most recent data show the extent to which food waste is part of our daily lives.

According to the diagnosis prepared by the Government of Catalonia, in 2024 nearly 174,000 tonnes of food were wasted in Catalan households.

This represents more than 21 kg of food per person per year and approximately 64 kg per household.

The problem also carries an economic impact. The value of wasted food in Catalan households exceeds 900 million euros annually, an amount equivalent to approximately 330 euros per household per year.

However, the impact goes far beyond the food that ends up in the trash. Producing, transporting, storing, and distributing food requires energy and natural resources and generates emissions.

For this reason, preventing food from being wasted is also a measure to combat climate change and conserve our land and ecosystems.

Food loss and food waste can occur at virtually any stage of a food product's journey.

They start in the field, when certain products cannot be marketed or harvested. They continue during processing, transport, and distribution, and also occur in retail stores, restaurants, and households.

In the food service industry, for example, poor demand forecasting, inefficient stock management, expiration dates, or surplus prepared food can lead to wasted food.

This is why prevention is far more effective than taking action only after food has already turned into waste.

There is no single cause.

In households, overbuying, poor meal planning, improper storage, or confusion between use-by and best-before dates can lead to perfectly edible food being discarded.

In addition to these causes, other factors related to the supply chain's operations play a role:

• Incorrect demand forecasting.

• Production surpluses.

• Inventory management errors.

• Storage and preservation challenges.

• Commercial criteria related to the size or appearance of food.

• Difficulties in selling or distributing certain products.

In the field, the problem is also closely linked to the daily reality of many farmers.

Selling prices that do not always cover production costs, commercial demands that can leave part of the harvest out, and a heavy workload can make it difficult to find a suitable outlet for all the food produced.

This is where food upcycling and surplus recovery can turn a potential loss into a new opportunity.

Food production requires water, energy, land, and other natural resources. When this food is not eaten, a portion of all these resources is also wasted.

Additionally, throughout their lifecycle, emissions have been generated from production, processing, transport, refrigeration, and distribution.

The FAO estimates that food loss and waste account for 8% to 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

Therefore, reducing food waste is also a way to lessen the pressure on the planet and move toward a more sustainable food system.

Throwing away food also means wasting the money and labor invested in producing, purchasing, storing, or preparing it.

In the case of Catalan households, the estimated economic impact exceeds 900 million euros annually.

The social dimension is also clear: while a vast amount of food goes uneaten, poverty and difficulties in accessing sufficient, quality food persist.

Reducing waste therefore means recognizing the true value of food and using it more responsibly.

When we talk about food loss or food waste, behind every kilogram of food is a person’s hard work.

Farmers and producers are the ones primarily responsible for making it possible for food to reach our tables.

When a crop cannot find a market because there is a surplus, because the product does not meet certain commercial standards, or because harvesting it is no longer economically viable, the loss falls squarely on the farmers as well.

Recovering this food means more than just avoiding waste; it means valuing the food itself, the labor of those who produce it, and the land that makes it possible.

The best way to combat waste is to prevent it from happening in the first place.

At home, you can follow a few recommendations such as:

• Planning meals and shopping lists.

• Checking what is in the fridge before buying.

• Storing food properly.

• Using leftovers to make new dishes.

• Freezing what will not be eaten in time.

• Distinguishing between use-by and best-before dates.

However, the responsibility cannot fall solely on consumers.

Producers, food businesses, retail stores, restaurants, and public authorities can also reduce loss and waste by improving planning, inventory management, storage, processing, and surplus redistribution.

At Can Moragues, we work to put these principles into practice.

Fundació Emys is a non-profit organization dedicated to nature conservation, with a special focus on wetlands and the European pond turtle (Emys orbicularis).

Our history dates back to 1987, and we currently work to conserve Catalonia’s natural heritage through research, land stewardship, environmental education, sustainable management, and awareness raising.

We also focus on agroecology, supporting farmers so that agricultural activity is compatible with biodiversity conservation.

You can help make our work possible here.

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At Fundació Emys, we address food waste prevention at various points along the food supply chain.

We organize technical training to prevent food loss during primary production and to improve storage, preservation, and distribution within the food service sector.

We also offer environmental education and children's workshops so that young ones learn to value food, understand where it comes from, and prevent waste at home.

At El Rebost de Can Moragues, these principles go directly from the field to the kitchen.

We coordinate with our suppliers to recover crop surpluses or irregular produce that remain in good condition, giving them a new life through our kitchen.

El Rebost works with organic producers committed to nature conservation, while Fundació Emys supports them to ensure their farming practices also help foster biodiversity.

We carry out regular inventory checks on expiration dates for dry goods and monitor fresh product stock in our shop.

The goal is not only to detect a surplus once it has already occurred, but to understand why it was generated and reduce the likelihood of it happening again.

When fresh produce in our shop does not sell but remains safe and fit for consumption, we look for ways to extend its shelf life.

Fruit or vegetables that can no longer be sold fresh can be transformed into jams, juices, or preserves, for instance.

In this way, food processing becomes a tool for preservation and resource recovery.

At El Rebost de Can Moragues, high-quality ingredients that run the risk of being wasted are turned into new dishes and culinary creations.

In this way, the kitchen becomes a tool to give food a second chance and demonstrate that resourcefulness and gastronomic quality can go hand in hand.

Not all food can be recovered.

When a product is no longer fit for consumption, we send it to the compost site at the Hort del Banc de Llavors de la Selva, a Fundació Emys project dedicated to recovering local heirloom vegetable varieties.

In this way, even what can no longer be consumed returns to the system as organic matter.

Preventing food waste also means showing what we can do differently.

That is why we organize showcookings, training sessions, and practical zero-waste cooking workshops tailored for different audiences.

The goal is to demonstrate that preventing waste does not always require drastic changes: often, it simply starts with learning to look at food in a new way.

This is the amount of food we managed to recover and reuse at El Rebost de Can Moragues between June 2025 and June 2026.

It is not just a figure.

It represents food that found a new purpose instead of being lost. And a part of this recovered food goes directly into the dishes we serve at El Rebost.

Our salad green fritters, sweet and sour red cabbage soup, sweet-and-savory rice arancini, or chickpea flatbread with roasted vegetables and ratafia reduction are just a few examples of how culinary creativity can transform good food into new gastronomic experiences.

For us, zero-waste cooking is not simply about "using up leftovers."

It is a way of looking at food differently, understanding the value behind every single product, and finding the best possible purpose for it before considering it lost.

At Can Moragues, we believe that food, farming, biodiversity, and land are all interconnected.

That is why we work to ensure that food waste prevention forms part of a broader model based on agroecology, responsible consumption, and the valuation of food.

Collaboration with producers, surplus processing, zero-waste cooking, composting, and public awareness are all distinct pieces of the very same system.

It is a system where food does not lose its value simply because it looks different, because harvest yields were higher than expected, or because it was not sold in time.

Several of these initiatives have been developed within the framework of the "From Field to Table: Food Recovery" project.

One of the best ways to understand our project is to taste it.

El Rebost de Can Moragues is a dining space and organic store where gastronomy meets nature conservation, local farming, and organic, regional products.

Our menu puts the ingredients and their quality front and center, showing that enjoying good food and preserving nature can be part of the very same experience.

Every recovered ingredient is a small opportunity to prove that a different way of producing, cooking, and consuming is possible.

Discover El Rebost de Can Moragues, the restaurant and organic store.

Food recovery, supported by the Government of Catalonia (Generalitat de Catalunya)

What is food waste?

Food waste refers to all food and edible parts intended for human consumption that end up being discarded along the food chain, from retail and catering to our own homes.

What is the difference between food loss and food waste?

The main difference lies in the stage at which it occurs. Food loss takes place in the field and during primary production, when crops cannot be harvested or marketed. Food waste, on the other hand, occurs in the final stages, such as distribution, retail, restaurants, and home consumption.

How much food is thrown away in Catalan households?

Catalan households wasted nearly 174,000 tonnes of food in 2024. This figure represents over 21 kg of wasted food per person per year, or around 64 kg per household.

What is the economic impact of throwing away food at home?

In Catalonia, the value of food thrown away at home exceeds 900 million euros annually, which equals a loss of around 330 euros per household each year.

How does food waste affect climate change?

Food loss and waste generate between 8% and 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Beyond emissions, throwing away food means wasting the water, land, energy, and transportation used to produce it.

What are the main reasons we throw away food at home?

At home, waste is usually caused by a lack of meal planning, overbuying, improper food storage, or confusion between the use-by date and best-before date.

What can we do individually to reduce waste?

At home, we can avoid wasting food by planning our shopping and menus, checking what we already have in the fridge or freezer before buying, storing food properly, and using leftovers to create new recipes.

What is zero-waste cooking?

It is the culinary practice of using surplus ingredients, imperfect produce, or leftovers from other meals to create new high-quality dishes, preventing them from ending up in the trash.

How do we prevent fresh produce waste at Can Moragues?

When fresh produce in our organic shop does not sell on time but remains safe for consumption, we extend its shelf life by turning it into preserves, juices, or jams, or by featuring it directly on the menu at El Rebost restaurant.

What do we do with food that cannot be recovered in any way?

When food is no longer fit for consumption, we send it to the compost site at the Hort del Banc de Llavors de la Selva to turn it into organic matter, closing the loop and enriching the soil once again.