Food waste: when you think about it...

I have, as you may have noticed, been thinking about food waste quite a lot lately. And one of the side effects of Ros's inquiry into the subject is that we have become rather more conscious of what we consume.

Now I'm not going to get carried away and suggest that we have reduced our food waste by some dramatic percentage, or that everyone could and should do more, but it is interesting to see how our thought processes have changed. Our fridge doesn't have as much stuff in it - during the week I can shop as I need to, fortunately - and I give a bit more thought to what's already in the fridge or freezer when planning my week. We measure pasta and rice, rather than just throw some into a pan to cook.

And there has been a benefit, in that our shopping bill feels smaller than it did, although, in truth, I haven't done a proper comparison yet.

But, whatever effect it has had on us, I'm loathe to see the Government legislate on the subject, rather that I'd like to see more education as to the potential benefits. Politicians and bureaucrats lecturing the public on the benefits of making soup out of surplus food, or whatever, will only alienate them. On the other hand, getting people to think about their shopping and eating habits might convince some that the benefits of a change of behaviour might be worth the effort.

If wastage levels are as high as have been suggested, there is scope for people to have a bit more money to spare for other things or, better still, to save. Many households have very little financial resilience due to the absence of savings, and if they can be helped by a little information and encouragement to reduce their food bills, it might then reduce their vulnerability to financial shocks.

But it isn't necessarily easy, as the report from Ros and her fellow committee members makes clear. Family life is more complex, many women work and therefore there isn't anyone in the house that has the time to cook and shop as their parents and grandparents did. Families don't eat together as they used to, so multiple different meals might be prepared at different times. The plethora of supermarket offers make decision making more difficult. In short, life is more complex, so the solutions aren't as simple.

BOGOFs have been the focal point of the debate this week, with some loudly protesting that they make it possible to eat, whilst others claim that they're a con. Ironically, the British Retail Consortium claim that supermarkets are moving away from such deals. The truth is hidden in the arithmetic, as it's only if you can calculate what such a deal really costs that you can judge whether it not it really is a good deal.

Hopefully, the coverage will offer an opportunity for some people to make changes that benefit them, whilst Government and everyone in the chain of food production and consumption works to reduce waste levels. With more and more pressure on resources as the global population increases, and as emerging middle classes in countries like India, China and Brazil demand more varied diets, anything we can do to make better use of the food that is produced can only help.