Minister of Agriculture Carola Schouten meets Becky. Photo Sanne Strooisnijder Samen tegen Voedselverspilling, the WUR-led foundation that aims to combat food waste, was at the international green trade fair Grüne Woche last week in Berlin. It launched its new mascot Becky there.
‘Becky will work with influencers to persuade Dutch consumers to waste less food,’ explains Sanne Strooisnijder, Business Development Manager at Fresh Food & Chains. ‘She will do this by giving practical tips such as handy shopping lists and recipes that mean you don’t have to throw away so much.’
Becky was developed by the Netherlands Nutrition Centre and is based on the latest insights of communication and behavioural scientists. Families with young children waste most food so Becky was tested first on this group. In a couple of years’ time, the researchers will evaluate what effect the campaign has had. The Dutch discarded 34.3 kilos of food per person in 2019, almost seven kilos less than in 2016.
Families with young children waste most food so Becky was tested first on this group.