Food Waste in France

Dumpster divers and urban foraging

Dumpster divers and urban foragers refer to people who search or scavenge for food. Typically those who take part in the practices are homeless people but the terms are not limited to them. One organization called Gars'pilleurs takes part in urban foraging. The organization founded in Lyon, France, collects thrown out garbage at night and redistributes it to homeless or those in need of food (Chrisafis, 2015). In some cases dumpster diving is considered a transgression. One example of this was seen in Belgium, where one man was arrested for acquiring muffins thrown out by a supermarket. This brought into question the diluted dichotomy between what is just and what is legal with regards to food waste. It also raises the question, can food left for waste really be stolen (Abrahamsson, 2012)?

Dumpster diving is seen as a cultural transgress. The act of rummaging through garbage for food is associated with shame and desperation. In contrast, Abrahamsson suggests that dumpster diving should not be seen as a having a negative connotation, instead should be seen as an act of rescue (Abrahamsson, 2012). One direct implication of the new French bill is that it will all but eliminate urban foraging in areas that facilitate large supermarkets, given that food deemed no longer of value to supermarkets will go directly to food banks or charities.


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