| dc.description.abstract | Due to the enormous pressure of conflicts, climate change, and an increasing population, people face the consequences of not having access to healthy food. Simultaneously, the production of food, which uses heavy equipment, and high amounts of fossil fuels, water, synthetic fertilisers and synthetic pesticides, puts a huge burden on the environment itself. Yet, in a world where these problems of unsustainable food production and unequal food access exist, people still waste 390 million tonnes of food every year. This is problematic since food is not only thrown away but the resources that are used to produce, distribute and store them are wasted as well. There are however several grassroots initiatives that try to face these problems. Nonetheless, academic debates often do not include the potential of grassroots initiatives in overcoming food waste problems. Therefore, this research aims at filling in this knowledge gap by studying how three grassroots initiatives in Utrecht try to prevent food waste and measuring their impact. This is done through participant observation at different events of the three initiatives and by interviewing people that are involved in the grassroots initiatives. Additionally, people who work for the municipality are interviewed to show how food waste is put on the agenda by governmental bodies. It can be concluded that these initiatives try to reduce food waste by food and by preparing meals that would otherwise have been discarded. Through this, the initiatives do not only reduce food waste but also address issues around social inequality and social injustice. However, it can be argued that the impacts of grassroots initiatives are limited since they do not have the power to change whole food systems. Making alliances with other grassroots initiatives and with governmental bodies, such as the municipality of Utrecht, is therefore needed. | |
