- The Guardian

 

I've always thought it a shame to mankind that anyone goes hungry with the amount of food allowed to go to waste in civilized societies worldwide.

 

This really should be required. There are a number of big grocery stores here in Chicago that do this. The big problem is in produce. It usually is kept until it is all too late. But canned food or this sealed in shrink wrap is good for six months passed the expiration date, which is really just a date that it can no longer be sold.

 

Charitable deeds are noble enough and it is good to help those in need but once you add the word FORCE into the equation, this stops being about charity and becomes about socialist redistribution of wealth. Hence the 400 sq m threshold.

 

Stale baguettes? Maybe the homeless can start a baseball team or cricket or whatever your peens are into.

 

The reason most food makers and suppliers no longer donate food is that they get sued. Either someone alleges they got a creepy disease from donated food, or someone alleges that the company is discriminating against some group.
Companies would much prefer to donate their unsellable goods rather than toss it, but legally they can't afford to.

 

U.S. supermarkets give charities their out of date food products daily. They have been doing this voluntarily for the last 50 years or so. However because of law suits they no longer donate refrigerated items.

 

Well, force is good and obviously needed in this case. And I'll never understand how redistribution of wealth can be a bad thing except for the very few rich people.

 

Surprisingly Charles Manson sang about this very thing in 1969:




Oh garbage dump oh garbage dump
Why are you called a garbage dump
Oh garbage dump oh garbage dump
Why are you called a garbage dump
You could feed the world with my garbage dump
You could feed the world with my garbage dump
You could feed the world with my garbage dump
That sums it up in one big lump
When you're livin' on the road
And you think sometimes you're starvin'
Get on off that trip my friend
Just get in them cans and start carvin'
Oh garbage dump my garbage dump
Why are you called my garbage dump
Oh garbage dump my garbage dump
Why are you called my garbage dump
TALK:
There's a market basket an' a A&P
I don't care if the box boys are starin' at me
I don't even care who wins the war
SING:
I'll be in them cans behind my favorite store
Garbage dump oh garbage dump
Why are you called a garbage dump
Garbage dump oh garbage dump
That sums it up, in one big lump
TALK:
I claim all these garbage dumps
In the name of
SING:
(The garbage pickers of America)
(The garbage pickers of America)
(The garbage pickers of America)

 

But in the big scheme of things, you are one of those "very few rich people". Most of the world are poorer than you and yet you've not redistributed your wealth to the point that you are on a par with the very poorest.

 

Maybe, but are we really talking about redistributing money to 3rd world countries?

 

It makes no difference. You either believe in redistribution all wealth or none at all.
Whenever I have heard people mention redistribution, no matter their personal wealth, the protagonist always believes it should begin further up the wealth ladder than themselves.

Who gets to be the arbiter of whose wealth should be redistributed and how much of it?

At what point does the incentive to work hard for a living disappear?

 

Well, I have no problem with redistributing my wealth to people poorer than me. But this topic is not about that. This topic is about supermarkets in france, giving to the french charities. Which I support.

 

great idea, a lot of places where i live do this on a smaller scale but it helps!

 

We're So Spoiled That We Refuse To Buy 'Ugly' Produce. Here's What One Store Is Doing

Posted: 06/24/2014 6:48 pm EDT




Globally, we waste between 25 to 33 percent of food produced for consumption, a staggering figure that one French supermarket is combating with a digestible plan.

Intermarche, France’s third largest supermarket, was sick and tired of watching other stores discard perfectly good fruits and vegetables just because they didn’t look like perfect 10s.

"Everything that doesn’t fit into the norm, we toss," one seller said in an interview.

So, Intermarche decided to give "makeunders" to the misshapen potatoes and oranges that usually don’t get a chance.

First, the chain purchased products that growers typically throw away. It then designated a section for said "inglorious fruits and vegetables" at its stores, which included such produce as the "grotesque apple" and "unfortunate clementine." Each one was priced 30 percent cheaper than its prettier counterparts.

They were all perfectly fresh and healthful, they had just grown into, er, unusual shapes.

The experiment proved to be pretty fruitful.

Store traffic increased by 24 percent and the program reached 13 million people after one month. The only issue it ran into was getting sold out.

Now, that is pretty sweet.

 

it should not require a law to force them to give food away
it would be more effective to change the laws that allow idiots to sue the givers for unfounded reasons
dont get that wrong, if the food is actually bad there should be the medical bills and maybe time lost from work paid but not some fucking massive payout
next lets address the idea of the loss of money
yes they will get a deduction for a charitable donation and some community support but most food pantries and charities do have some funds to purchase needed goods that could use a portion to buy the food for a low price

locally the HEB donates alot of stuff to local help groups but the wal mart reuses to donate
even the egg farms give about 1% of their daily production to food banks and since we have 4 massive egg farms that makes for way too many eggs
the local smokehouse/ processors shop will take a feral pig and cut it for free and still give you a percentage of the meat as long as they get the ear and the rest is given to charity

 

here in my city, MANY grocery stores DONATE unsold merchandise to a Food Bank which then distributes it to different Church/Mosque/Temple Food Banks for the Needy. Yes, they DO get a tax deduction for such materials donated, so it only makes sound business sense to do so. With ONE exception, WalMart. Winn Dixie, IGA/Rowes, and Publix participate, but NOT Wal(China)Mart, at least NOT to my knowledge.

It is a Noble and Humane thing to do; and the knowledge AFFECTS to whom I give my business to.

BUT to make such conduct a LAW, and Using the ARMED THUGS OF GOVERNMENT TO STEAL ANYONE'S OR ANYTHINGS PROPERTY IS RANCIDLY VILE!

 

Sucks when you're hungry and you can't seem to find a a way to get food in your mouth. I've forcefully relieved people of their excess money soley to get food. Shit can get real fast.

As for wether to waste food or put it to use. I don't care if its socialist or fascist. Sometines dumb ignorant motherfuckrrs have to be told what to do cause they are to stupid to make the right decision. Seatbelt laws? fascist bullshit. But hell if it ain't a good idea

 

But nothing of wealth is going to be taken away from anybody ...

 

They won't be stealing anything. This is "property" that the supermarkets are getting rid of. The law only dictates where, and how, they can dispose of it; it doesn't require them to give it away if they want to keep it.