The 8th Edition of World Disco Soup Day was held in Nakuru under the theme ‘Save our Food, Save our Planet’ with calls on society to embrace food waste reduction and promote climate-friendly diets.
Hundreds of youth and representatives of some of the Slow Food Gardens in Nakuru turned up On Saturday for World Disco Soup Day organized by Nakuru-based Organic Foods Champion Slow Food Kenya.
Armed with placards with several messages among them, ‘Stop Food Waste & Losses, ‘Save our Food’, ‘Save our Planet’, ‘Better Environment Better Tomorrow’, ‘Reduce Reuse and Recycle’, the lobby group held a peaceful procession chanting the messages on safeguarding the planet and organic foods from Central Police station through Nakuru CBD’s Kenyatta Avenue to Nakuru Railways Police station.
During the procession, the group raised awareness among sellers and consumers, urging them to prioritize consuming these foods rather than discarding them.
The walk in Nakuru Town was part of their commitment to education and advocacy, engaging passersby and shopkeepers, sharing information about Disco Soup, its mission, and practical steps to reduce food waste.
They later congregated at Slow Food Kenya’s office grounds for other activities including fun and dance among youth in attendance majority of whom learners from neighborhood schools towards marking the Day.
According to Elphas Masanga from Slow Food Kenya, the campaign on slow food is worldwide in countries like Italy,Uganda,Mexico etc.
Slow Food Kenya advocates for organic farming(Agro-ecological).
“This World Disco Soup Day is for sensitizing youth who can pass the message to the next generation. We use it to sensitize on the need to save Planet Earth, save food through organic farming towards climate change mitigation,” he stated.
In an interview on April 27, 2024 during the event, Masanga revealed that they chose to involve young people to impart the knowledge of saving food and Planet Earth, towards a better society.
According to him, the youth will be a great tool in passing the knowledge to generation to come.
“We want to incorporate youth in this conversation because it is the easier way of passing knowledge from one generation to another in making our earth better,” said Masanga.
It should be noted that World Disco Soup Day in Kenya’s Nakuru County was made possible through coordination by The Slow Food Youth Network (SFYN) in Kenya.
This is a dynamic movement of young leaders committed to creating a world where food is not only good, clean, and fair but also sustainable and just.
With the Network’s work spanning in various various domains, including food waste reduction, climate change,
policy advocacy, and social justice.
Masanga notes that through educational initiatives, festivals, protests, and potlucks, knowledge is passed from one generation to another, learn from each other celebrating culturally significant food, and build future food leaders.
The World Disco Soup Day-an annual global campaign initiated by SFYN is held on the last Saturday of April with mission to raise awareness about the environmental impact of food waste,
climate change, biodiversity loss.
“By turning surplus food into delicious soups, raising awareness on how impactful food policy can be in tackling the climate crisis and dancing together, we create a joyful and impactful event that encourages mindful consumption and celebrates sustainable practices,” he pointed out.
This, even as statistics reveal that approximately one-third of all food produced for human consumption goes
to waste.
Half of this loss occurs between harvest and retail, while the rest is wasted by
consumers.
Even perfectly fresh and tasty fruits and vegetables are discarded due to aesthetic imperfections.
However, it’s not just food that gets wasted—resources like land, water, labor, energy, and capital are squandered in the process.
Moreover, food waste contributes to global warming when disposed of in landfills, emitting greenhouse gases.
Kenya, like many countries,
faces the challenge of achieving SDG Goal 2: Zero Hunger.
Food insecurity and malnutrition persist, affecting millions of Kenyans daily.
Shockingly, approximately one in three Kenyans lives in food poverty, representing 33% of the population.
The Food Waste Index Report 2021, jointly published by UNEP and the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), reveals that every Kenyan discards an average of 99 kilograms of
food annually.
Collectively, Kenya wastes a staggering 5.2 tons of food each year.
According to Slow Food Kenya, addressing food loss and waste is a shared responsibility that involves both producers and consumers.
The Organization notes that there is need for investments and an enabling environment to drive change and minimize food wastage at all levels.
The Birth of Disco Soup (originally called “Schnippeldisko”) took place in Berlin in 2012.
Activists from Slow Food Deutschland and partner organizations chopped up unsold vegetables and cooked a massive soup that fed 8,000 people.
This fun yet impactful initiative highlighted the staggering amount of food waste generated globally.
Inspired by Berlin’s success, activists
worldwide organized their own Disco Soup events.
In 2016, Brazil hosted the first national Disco Soup Day, organized by the national chapter of SFYN.
Soon after, the event gained international recognition.
Since its inception in 2017, World Disco Soup Day has been observed every last Saturday of April.
The event’s primary focus is food waste reduction and promoting climate-friendly diets.
Participants gather to turn rescued food into soups, dance, and reflect on their environmental impact.
Author: Pristone Mambili
A trained Journalist with passion for Radio and online Writing.