Embrapa, in partnership with the Maurício de Souza Institute, WWF Brazil and the European Union, distributed the famous Brazilian comic book distributed during an event on Thursday morning (28) at Embrapa Coastal Tablelands (Aracaju, SE). A teacher's guide on sustainable consumption and zero food waste, officially launched on Tuesday (26) in Brasília, was also handed out. Teachers, pedagogical coordinators, students, researchers, agronomists, nutritionists and civil society in general came together at the local launch event of a special edition of a famous Brazilian comic book (Monica's Gang) to discuss the global food waste issue. The educational publication distributed explain the negative impacts of food waste on families and give tips on how to replace this habit with more sustainable consumption. The initiative is part of a project supported by the European Union - Brazil Sector Dialogues, led by Embrapa, in partnership with WWF Brazil and in collaboration with the Maurício de Sousa Institute. The programme is a cooperation instrument in line with the Sustainable Development Goal aimed at halving global food loss and waste by 2030. The digital version of the comic book called Monica's Gang is available on the website - semdesperdicio.org . "This effort by the Embrapa & School Program is also part of the project titled 'Dialogues on food waste: raising awareness among youth of sustainable consumption and climate change," which focuses on communication for behavioural change," explains Gustavo Porpino, coordinator of the initiative and communication analyst at the Embrapa Secretariat of Innovation and Business (Brasília, DF). The event was kicked off by Marcelo Fernandes, Head of Embrapa Tabuleiros Costeiros , and attended by Rui Ludovino, Counsellor of the European Union to Brazil; Noelia Barriuso, representative of the European Union-Brazil Sector Dialogues Support Facility; and WWF Brazil advisor Maria Fernanda Lino. Ludovino pointed out that the project meets the need to increase awareness of food waste among young consumers in Brazil, and is in line with the European Commission's Circular Economy Action Plan regarding the sustainable use of natural resources and the fight against climate change. To see the full album for the event on Embrapa's Flickr profile, click on the side arrows to browse through the images. Research Porpino presented the results of the survey on food consumption habits and food waste in Brazilian households, conducted between 2017 and 2018 and released at the beginning of 2019. The results show that each year 91.7 lbs of food are wasted per person. Every day, each Brazilian household throws away 0.77lbs of food, totalling 283.9 lbs of food a year that end up in waste containers. The study has also shown that rice (22%), beef (20%), beans (16%) and chicken (15%) are the most wasted foods, and part of the daily meals of the majority of the population. "Rice and beans, which lead this sad statistic, are two of the main ingredients on a menu considered ideal for supplying the nutrients required by the human body," Porpino says. To try to explain these distortions, the research has also found that behind these numbers there are behavioural factors such as the need for abundance, at different stages of consumption - from purchase to preparation. Sixty eight percent (68%) of survey respondents confirmed the urge to buy large quantities to keep the pantry full, and 52% said they thought having a surplus was important. More than 77% of the respondents admitted their preference for always having fresh food on the table, which leads to 56% of them cooking at home two or more times a day, contributing to the idea that "the more, the merrier". During the discussion, the public had the opportunity to present questions, concerns and suggestions about solutions that can raise societal awareness of the importance of reducing food waste. Watch WFF Brazil and Embrapa's video for the Zero Waste campaign below. Technologies At the end, Joézio dos Anjos, a researcher specialised in soil science at Embrapa Coastal Tablelans, presented alternatives for using food scraps in a simple and easy way that families can adopt at home. Home worm composting using food scraps is one of the solutions. Worms act as a "biological mill" and, through the transformation of organic matter; they help transform leftovers that would normally end up in dumps into extremely rich organic fertilizers for plants and vegetables. At the end of the event, assorted and tasty sustainable snacks prepared with alternative ingredients and techniques were served, no plastic ware was used. Among the options were pumpkin peel cakes with coconut, meat sticks with E. scaber, a tropical species of flowering plant, banana, coconut and peanut candies, sweet potato rolls, mini 'rainbow' pizzas with colourful vegetables, natural fruit juices and fresh coconut water. For the coordinator of the Environmental Education and Sustainability Project (PEAS) of Amadeus School and College, José Bezerra, the event was an excellent opportunity to debate sustainable consumption and discuss effective pedagogical alternatives for application in class. "We have Embrapa as a great partner in our program actions, and these new materials will further enrich the activities and promote greater awareness," he said. Lázaro de Jesus, from the Aracaju Lixo Zero (Zero Waste) collective, said that initiatives such as the publication of the magazine and the guide are crucial to change cultural habits and reduce waste among Brazilian families. "The National Policy for Solid Waste provides for preventing waste production, and this effort really focuses on this point", he highlighted. For Fernanda Sanane, a cook at Francisco Rosa State School in Aracaju, the discussions were very rich and spark an important reflection on school lunch waste. "In our work we have to deal with waste from the moment of transportation until the arrival of food at school, in the preparation by the lunch ladies and in the service to the students. This chain is affected by several factors that lead to waste - overstock, lack of space for storage, bad eating habits of students, among others", she explained. Translation: Sector Dialogues, edited by Mariana Medeiros.