The new supermarket is a not-so-subtle swing at the modern food system, which often prioritizes food safety at the expense of waste. In Denmark over 700,000 metric tonnes of food is wasted each year, while 1.3 billion metric tonnes are trashed worldwide.
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Solutions to the food waste problem have been proposed around the world, from campaigns to embrace ugly produce in France to President Obama’s initiatives to reduce food waste in the U.S.by 50 percent. The grocer, opened by Danish NGO Folkekirkens Nødhjælp, is hoping to lure shoppers of all socioeconomic backgrounds by selling its food at steep discounts – somewhere between 30 to 50 per cent cheaper than other standard supermarkets.
Founded by charity Folkekirkens Nodhjaelp, the concept aims to reduce food wastage by selling products that have damaged packaging or have aged beyond their expiry dates.
To round out its offerings, WeFood has made agreements with suppliers of citrus fruits, meat, and organic fruit and nut bars.
“Foodborne illness comes from contamination, not from the natural process of decay”, an NRDC scientist told Consumer Reports past year. Still, with Danish Princess Marie and Eva Kjer Hansen, the minister of food and environment, on hand at the Monday opening, the idea is being presented more in terms of environmental sustainability for all at WeFood instead of affordable (and possibly stigmatized) food for some.
In Denmark, if WeFood’s popularity continues and it’s able to maintain its food deliveries, Søndergaard said the store plans to open branches across the country.
Foodstuffs, which owns New World and PAK’nSAVE supermarkets, also maintains relationships with food charities.
“Extrapolated across all New World’s and PAK’nSAVE’s that level of donation equates to 450,000 meals a month”. “It’s ridiculous that food is just thrown out or goes to waste”, she said.
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Laird said Foodstuffs’ supermarkets on the programme aimed to recycle 90 per cent of food unfit for human consumption, over the next two years.
