Cameras, action on food waste

Budding filmmakers have the chance to do something about the global problem of food waste - now totalling 1.2 million tonnes a year in NSW alone, and valued at $2.5 billion.

The Love Food Hate Waste short film competition, funded by the NSW Environment Protection Authority, has been launched by the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS) and the City of Sydney to help raise awareness of a growing problem.

The competition has prizes worth over $4000, including vouchers towards short courses at the Australian Film Television and Radio School and Metro Screen, movie tickets, editing software and sound equipment.

“As over 900 million people around the world go hungry, people in NSW are throwing away on average 315 kg of food per household, valued at $1036, every year,” said City of Sydney Waste Programs Coordinator Sarah Van Erp.

The University of Western Sydney (UWS) estimates that the $1 billion worth of edible food thrown away annually across Sydney is equivalent to the income of every farmer in the Sydney Basin.

UTS Institute of Sustainable Futures Research Principal Jade Herriman said: “This is not only a terrible waste of food, but also a major environmental issue as food waste accounts for half of a household’s water use, 40% of household waste and it also produces greenhouse gas emissions.

“Throwing out a kilogram of beef wastes the 50,000 L of water used to produce it.”

Research shows we commonly waste food in our homes by buying too much, cooking too much food and forgetting about leftovers in the fridge.

Competition judge and television presenter Sarah Wilson said: “Anyone interested in food can no longer be ignorant of the massive issue of food wastage. A few tweaks to our cooking habits and shopping choices is all that’s required.”

Films must be between 30 seconds to five minutes long and can be in different formats: documentary, interview and animation. Entrants must be over 18 and entries close 16 December 2012.

The judging panel includes Jared Ingersol, owner/chef at Danks Street Depot; Sarah Wilson, television presenter, author and blogger; and Costa Georgiadis, host of the ABC’s Gardening Australia.

The competition is supported by UTS, the University of Sydney, the University of NSW, the Tom Farrell Institute at the University of Newcastle, Macquarie University, the University of Wollongong, UWS and the Youth Food Movement.

For more details, visit http://lovefoodfilm.com/.