During its presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers, Iceland has emphasized the Nordic bioeconomy and launched several research projects in this field. The aim of these projects is, among other things, to find new ways to make better use of our resources and prevent waste ", says Sigurður Ingi Jóhannsson, Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture.
The bioeconomy includes all the biological resources that produce raw materials, such as the sea, pastures, wilderness, human resources, forests and fresh water. Ways need to be found to make better use of these resources and thus reduce the waste of the raw materials they produce. At the same time, we need to ensure the health of ecosystems so that they can withstand stress, such as natural disasters. Rational utilization and development of living resources can help reduce natural hazards, if planned with that in mind, for example, reduce forests and islets from the risk of flooding and forests bind volcanic ash.
The bioeconomy affects all life on earth. Therefore, the importance of preserving it is unequivocal. Environment Day last April. was dedicated to the caption: "Stop throwing away food", But one of the basic preconditions for protecting the bioeconomy is precisely not to take more than we need. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) estimates that 1.3 billion tonnes of food is wasted each year, about a third of the food produced. At the same time, one in seven people in the world goes to bed hungry and over 20,000 children die daily from malnutrition. Food waste is a moral problem, not least in the Western world.
It is important to raise public awareness of the consequences of food waste and to find ways to address it. This calls for a change in thinking in all production and we have a duty to utilize the raw material as well as possible. It is also important for innovative companies to look for ways to process processed raw materials that have been wasted so far, thus promoting finishing. Food waste is generated at all stages of the food chain. It is estimated that in developing countries the waste is greater at the production stage, while the opposite is true in the other western countries, where the waste takes place more at the consumption stage of the product.
This calls for life-cycle thinking to be applied in all waste policy-making and decision-making, both at government level and in the production of goods. For this reason, I submitted a bill amending the Waste Management Act to the Althingi in November 2013, which provides for certain priorities in waste management and the establishment of rules on waste management and policy. It is primarily a matter of prevention in order to prevent the formation of waste.
Next in priority are preparation for reuse, then recycling, then other reuse, such as energy production, and finally disposal.
Food waste is generated for various reasons, such as overproduction, inadequate storage methods, unsuitable dosages and lack of consumer care, for example when food is left in the fridge. Individuals can contribute to the fight against food waste, for example by better planning food purchases, checking dates and using leftover food instead of throwing it away.
Matís' projects aimed at improving raw material utilization and processing are important to society, as such projects contribute to better utilization of resources and at the same time reduce negative effects on nature. It is a significant financial benefit for individuals and society to stop wasting food at the same time as it is morally and socially right not to throw away food at a time when many people in the world are starving.
There is a great deal of ingenuity and creative thinking in the Nordic countries, and through Nordic co-operation, the Nordic countries have clearly shown that they have every reason to be at the forefront in many areas. The aim of the Icelandic Presidency's program and the projects that are being worked on within its framework is and must further strengthen the Nordic Region's position in this field.
The interview with the Minister is published in Matís' annual report for the operating year 2014, but the report was published on 16 January.