When former chef Adam Smith opened a small cafe in Britain's
post-industrial North two years ago, serving up dishes with food
destined for the scrap heap, he had big aspirations -- to fight
global food waste.
"From day one I set out to feed the world and I intend to do
that," the Yorkshireman said ambitiously, as he charted the growth
of his ethical empire -- the Real Junk Food Project (RJFP).
From its humble roots in a community centre in the deprived
Armley district of Leeds, northern England, the project now has
around 120 affiliated cafes worldwide, including Australia, France,
South Korea, the United States and, most recently, Nigeria.
"People are beginning to realise we are a serious organisation,"
said Smith, having just returned from an awareness-raising event
feeding MPs at Britain's parliament with food saved from garbage
bins.
The simple concept involves collecting food that would otherwise
have been thrown away -- usually because it is "out-of-date" and
unsellable under trading rules -- and turning it into perfectly
edible meals.
Since the project began in December 2013, almost 200 tonnes of
food has been "intercepted", Smith said.
Roughly one third of the food produced in the world for human
consumption every year -- approximately 1.3 billion tonnes -- gets
lost or wasted, according to the UN.
By offering meals on a "pay-as-you-feel" basis RJFP cafes
sidestep food regulations since it is against the law in Britain to
actually "sell" food past its use-by date. Smith's formulation is
tantamount to a voluntary donation, with the amount up to the
customer, which keeps all on the legal side of matters, he
said.
The team is discriminating. Not all food is accepted. "We make
our own judgement, by tasting and smelling, as to whether food is
fit for consumption."
Smith is clear that his vision was not about feeding poor
people, but for many communities it is a way of reaching those on
low incomes or none.
Helped by around 90 volunteers, retiree Shena Cooper runs
"Elsie's" cafe in the town of Northampton, central England, as part
of the RJFP network.
"We want to create a mixed society within the cafe," she said.
"Some people come in for coffee and cake and give a few pounds. But
there are people who cannot give anything."
- Tasty dishes -
Volunteers face the challenge of creating tasty dishes from
whatever food is available, but this is "part of the joy for them",
said Cooper.
At Elsie's "binner" event this month, a guest chef transformed
discarded local produce into a three-course feast of gourmet
crostini with pear salsa, sausage plait with polenta cake, and a
chocolate fig dessert.
"You can actually have a conscience about eating cake," joked
Heike Mapstone, a call centre worker, after the dinner.
"I think it is a great idea. Why should we waste all this
food?"
Cooper knows her cafe is only "scraping the tip of the iceberg"
but hopes collective efforts will "expose the food system for what
it is".
"There is so much wrong with it," she said. "The fact that we
can fly bananas half way around the world and then throw them into
landfill is ridiculous."
Adam Buckingham feeds about 200 people a week at a church-based
RJFP cafe in Brighton, where food donations have included legs of
cured serrano ham and huge stockpiles of chocolate.
"It shocks people that all this food would have gone in the
bin," he said, adding that a change in attitudes and legislation is
needed.
"Unfortunately we have got to a point where we think it is OK to
throw away food and buy more. We're blinded by convenience."
In north London, a pair of entrepreneurs have harnessed what
they believe is a growing aversion to this mindset.
Tessa Cook and her American business partner Saasha
Celestial-One launched a new app -- "Olio" -- to connect consumers
with sources of surplus food.
The app allows donors to upload pictures of items that may be
nearing their sell-by-date and users can browse for food and
arrange a pick-up via private messaging.
"We did some market research and found that one-third of people
were 'physically pained' throwing away food. To me that was mind
blowing," said Cook.
So far the pair have signed up 15 "founding merchants" --
individuals and businesses willing to share produce. Although
currently focused on London, Cook hopes the app will eventually go
global.
"The more we looked into it the more we were overwhelmed by the
sheer enormity of the food being wasted. It seems totally wasteful,
irresponsible and immoral," she said.
People queue to enter a Real Junk Food Project (RJFP) cafe in a
church in Brighton, southeast England, on September 11, 2015
Volunteers prepare food in the kitchen area of a Real Junk Food
Project (RJFP) cafe in Brighton, southeast England, on September
11, 2015
A sign on a table at a Real Junk Food Project (RJFP) cafe in
Brighton, southeast England, on September 11, 2015
Food on display at a Real Junk Food Project (RJFP) cafe in a
church in Brighton, southeast England, on September 11, 2015
Chalked words on a pavement point to a Real Junk Food Project
(RJFP) cafe in Brighton, southeast England
A volunteer carries food in a Real Junk Food Project (RJFP) cafe
in Brighton, southeast England, on September 11, 2015
When former chef Adam Smith opened a small cafe in Britain's
industrial north two years ago, serving up dishes with food
destined for the scrap heap, he had big aspirations - to fight
global food waste.
"From Day One, I set out to feed the world and I intend to do
that," the Yorkshireman said ambitiously, as he charted the growth
of his ethical empire - the Real Junk Food Project (RJFP)
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