The environmental organisation is urging people in Ibiza to manage organic waste properly and revive traditional recipes as part of efforts to tackle food waste at home.
Buying local, seasonal and bulk food is the main recommendation from Amics de la Terra as the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste is marked this Sunday. The environmental organisation is calling for the United Nations’ recommendations on reducing food waste to be applied in Ibiza.
Amics de la Terra warns that food waste is both a social and environmental problem, as producing food requires large amounts of land, water and energy. The organisation cites the United Nations Food Waste Index Report 2024, which found that 60% of food waste comes from households, compared with 28% from restaurants and the hospitality sector and 12% from supermarkets and other retailers.
The organisation adds that, when food losses occurring before products reach shops are also taken into account, food that is produced but never consumed accounts for 10% of global emissions, according to the United Nations.
The impact of living on an island
Amics de la Terra says the issue takes on particular importance in Ibiza because of the island’s dependence on maritime transport and its lack of food sovereignty.
“Every food product that reaches the island has travelled hundreds of kilometres,” the organisation says, while also warning about the environmental impact associated with transport, packaging and refrigeration.
For this reason, the group is encouraging people to choose locally produced and seasonal food. According to Amics de la Terra, these products require less transport and packaging while also supporting Ibiza’s agricultural sector and local businesses.
Composting and the brown bin
The organisation is also encouraging residents to manage organic waste more effectively. Its recommendations include learning how to compost at home or using the brown bin correctly to separate organic waste.
Amics de la Terra points out that organic waste can be turned into compost and biogas, and notes that this is one of the proposals promoted by the Zero Waste Alliance.
The organisation says that biogas could also help supply energy to the Ca Na Putxa waste treatment plant in Ibiza.
Bringing traditional recipes back
The environmental group is also calling for a return to traditional recipes as a way of making use of food that may have lost some of its visual appeal but is still perfectly suitable for consumption.
Examples include vegetable soups and creams, homemade preserves in glass jars, and traditional desserts such as greixonera and torrijas.
“Sometimes, the best way to be environmentally friendly is to rediscover the way our grandmothers looked at things,” the organisation concludes.