Disco Soup in Galway City a Huge Success!!
If we are waiting for the government, the troika or investing companies to come in like white knights to save our economy, we’ll be waiting until the proverbial cow comes home. I have just read a most insightful book, The Power of Just Doing Stuff by Rob Hopkins, the founder of the Transition Town movement and have been inspired at what local communities have achieved.
These Transition Communities have decided to determine their own fate, through building renewable energy sources (solar powered plants), developing community gardens and investing in local initiatives. Residents in these communities invest their own money into these local ventures which breathes new life into the communities, providing an essential service and local employment.
I just participated in Galway’s Disco Soup event on Sunday which was organised by Galway Transition Town, An Mheitheal Rothar (Galway Community Bike Workshop) and The Kitchen Galway. The convivial atmosphere throughout a rainy Sunday afternoon linked the message of reducing food waste with the importance of community involvement. We washed, peeled and chopped locally donated grade 2 and 3fruit and veg that would have been rejected by supermarkets because of their visual imperfections. The kitchen staff at the Galway Museum was kind enough to provide its kitchen and cooking prowess to create gorgeous vegetarian dishes which were consumed throughout the day. Children got involved in shucking peas and painting beautiful designs (in different areas, of course!). Music played all day while several speakers (including the author!) spoke about different campaigns to reduce food waste at home, in restaurants and throughout the food cycle.
Speakers included Sinead from the Galway City Council, Mindy O’Brien from VOICE and Iseult Ward from Food Cloud.
The upshot from this event is to encourage each one of us to take personal action to reduce our own food waste and to spread the message throughout our communities. We must demand better behaviour and actions from our food distributors. We should be the instruments of change in this food revolution.
Ø Ask your local restaurant or café to provide half portions and doggy bags. Encourage them to limit the amount of extraneous stuff put on your plate or table. Only bring bread when asked for and forget the pretty decorative leaf of lettuce. This will reduce the amount of plate waste as well as save the food provider money!
Ø Ask your local green grocer to supply grade 2 or 3 produce. The fruit and veg taste the same and if it doesn’t look perfect, it should be less expensive. This way, farmers can sell their imperfect produce for human consumption and get a better price for it that they do when using it for animal feed or composting fodder.
Ø Ask your local food shop what they do with their surplus food or food waste. Encourage them to donate surplus food BEFORE it becomes waste, to a local Foodbank or soup kitchen.
Change cannot happen without our involvement. Working through community groups and initiatives, we can achieve great paradigm shifts. Revolutions start through the actions of a few people. Why not start now?
