Sarah Rennie – LJI reporter

Local food pantry La Bouffe Additionnelle held the first of a series of workshops led by a popular zero-waste expert, Florence-Léa Siry, on February 21 in Huntingdon.

Siry has been working to fight food waste since 2017 when she helped organize the first zero-waste festival in Montreal. She has since published six books on the subject and presents around one hundred conferences and workshops per year with different companies, institutions and organizations.

She is working with La Bouffe Additionnelle to provide its members with helpful tips and strategies to avoid wasting food while eating better. The workshops are being funded in part by the Table de Concertation en Sécurité Alimentaire du Haut-Saint-Laurent as well as by a donation from the Laure Gaudreault Foundation.

La Bouffe Additionnelle director Sylvie Racette explained that the workshops are part of a wider movement they are building within the pantry to respond to their members’ food security needs in new and innovative ways.

Currently, around 63 per cent of household food waste in Quebec could be avoided. “That is two out of three food items that we throw away when we could have done something with them,” said Siry. Of that amount, at least 30 per cent are vegetables and 15 per cent are fruit. “It’s incredible!” she exclaimed.

The aim of the workshop was to demonstrate that the fight against food waste is about much more than caring for the planet. “It is about taking care of your wallet and your mental load as well,” said Siry, who provided participants with a list of tips to extend the shelf life of food while saving time, money, and energy.

Siry said cleaning and organizing household fridges and freezers was the first step. “A messy fridge is a green light for waste,” she said, noting she cleans her fridge and freezer before doing her weekly grocery run. “That is where I ‘stock up’ on groceries before I go shopping,” she said, noting transparent containers make it easier to see what is available.

Another piece of advice included buying in bulk or family-sized packaging when possible and then separating out portions that can be frozen for future meals. She also proposed using base recipes for baking and quick meals that can be topped up with whatever is on hand.

Over ten people participated in the first conference, and each left with an information booklet that included several recipes and ideas for creative meal planning using food that is already available in the home.

The next workshop will likely take place in the community kitchen sometime in late spring. Participation is free for La Bouffe Additionnelle members and costs $5 for non-members.

More information on future workshops will be posted to the La Bouffe Additionnelle social media pages.