Let’s get this bread!

 

Hello! We are Maya, Georg, Andrea and Eloïse from the University of Leuphana in Lüneburg, Germany, and Serhan, Dilay, Yunus and Yiğit from the University of Trabzon,Türkiye . We have been working together in the framework of the Culture, sustainability and intercultural communication virtual exchange project. Fun fact: this project was realized without us ever having eaten bread together. 

A first look – Eloïse

            How often do you think about bread? And of that, how many times do you think of  bread in any other way than as a sudden craving, breakfast staple or good accompaniment for soup? Not very often right? However, seemingly simple, bread is not only a good source of sustenance but has also had considerable historical, cultural, religious and political importance throughout human history. In the past, it has been central to consolidating societies, and it is ever present in our language and diet today. For example, in many societies such as the UK and Germany, the family provider is often referred to as the bread-winner. In Türkiye, if you find bread on the ground you are supposed to pick it up, put it somewhere safe and say a prayer. Bakeries abound in Germany. The average individual eats about 87 kg of bread per year, including breads like Vollkornbrot (whole grain bread) or smaller Brötchens (Lawford Mead Primary School). Think about yourself. How often do you eat bread? If “everyday” is your answer, it is for a lot of people!

In an effort to understand more about bread’s cultural importance and find ways to minimize its waste, we conducted interviews at local bakeries in two locations: Lüneburg, Germany, and Trabzon, Türkiye. Campaigns such as the redistribution of uneaten bread to those affected by poverty or educational tools to prevent food waste are part of the many solutions that came to light.

Bread and Culture – Georg and Eloïse

Across the relatively short period of time humans have been roaming earth, our habits, traits and customs have drastically changed. One thing that has remained consistent is the centrality of bread. Bread is one of the oldest human foods, still consumed today. It dates back to 12, 000 years ago in Neolithic time before humans became agricultural and it spread out rapidly across the globe over time (Britannica).

German bakeries may offer a huge variety of bread, but there is one kind that they lack, in which Turkish bakeries excel: unleavened bread. 

They are made with a simple mixture of flour, water, and salt, which is kneaded and rolled out before baking. Since there is no leavening agent involved, unleavened breads have a denser and more compact texture compared to yeast breads. They also tend to have a more straightforward flavor profile, with the taste of the flour and other ingredients being more prominent. (Baker at Gorele Ekmek Firini) 

 

Additionally to the bread making itself, special traditions around bread and charity evolved in Türkiye. Askıda Ekmek, or in English Bread on hanger, is a Turkish tradition revolving around the five pillars of Islam,  which Muslims believe need to be fulfilled to lead a good and moral life. One of those pillars is zakat, focusing on acts of charity, AskıdaEkmek being an example of that. Customers visiting a bakery can purchase two breads – one for themselves and the other left at the bakery to be collected by someone who cannot afford food otherwise (Morrow). 

A similar concept has been applied in the bakery of Landbäckerei Oetzman. Every Saturday an organization from the neighboring village comes to collect leftover bread and gives them to people in need who could otherwise not afford it. These types of initiatives are spreading in Germany but remain (for now!) scarce. 

A look at sustainability – Maya and Eloïse

What might catch your attention here is how a cultural habit or tradition can not only be beneficial to the less fortunate, but also to the planet. You might have encountered the Sustainable Development Goals, or SDGs. These goals have been defined by the UN to “provide[s] a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future” (United Nations). Linking these to the aforementioned traditions, you may have noticed that several of these goals are being addressed including the responsible consumption and production goal, reduced inequalities, climate action, and zero hunger goals. Bakery Oetzmann, for example, has almost zero waste in their production. How is this possible? 

In addition to the previously mentioned leftover donation initiative, a lot of the bread that could not be sold is reused. This may come as a surprise to our readers, however, it is common knowledge in the bread making community. Old bread can be ground into breadcrumbs, which can then be reused in new doughs. Not only is food waste combated this way, but the flavor of your new dough is also enhanced and lasts longer. This can be explained by the capacity of breadcrumbs to bind more water and thus enabling bread to remain fresh for longer.

But what happens to the bread that is unfit for reuse in dough or overall human consumption. The answer is actually quite simple! Bread that is too old for human use can typically still be used as food for animals. If it is too old even for animal consumption, it goes to biogas factories, which are artificial systems where waste can be turned into sustainable energy and fertilizers (Homebiogas).

These two zero waste producing bakeries may sound like an exception, or even a hoax. Could it be possible that bakeries we have talked to are just very special? Where do the previously mentioned masses of bread-waste come from?

Most waste simply does not come from bakeries. We must admit, we only talked to small manufacturers, which means that the behavior around waste might be different in larger bakeries and chains. However, a majority of bread waste can be attributed to individual households, who miscalculate their needs and throw away their leftovers (Kuetscher, 2015).

According to the United Nations Environment Programme’s 2021 Food Waste Index, 931 million tonnes of food waste was generated in 2019, 61% of which came from households. Not only is this number ridiculously high, it also means serious consequences for the environment. An estimated 8-10 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions are associated with food that is not consumed (Forbes et al., 2021). 

Germany finds itself in the top food wasters in the world in every sector including, retail, food service and households. Türkiye does not find itself on these lists but still holds significant food waste to its name. 

All is not lost! – Andrea and Eloïse

With this knowledge, it is impossible to look away. We see now more than ever how the world is in need of global actions and solidarity. Luckily, we are not the only ones worrying about this. Around the world diverse groups of people are organizing themselves, building initiatives, creating NGOs and doing much more to take action. Similar to the acts of kindness and good faith in Türkiye with the Askıda Ekmek initiative, there are initiatives that connect the act of saving food with acts of care for the community.

 

A well known initiative in Germany is Die Tafel. Die Tafel is an Umbrella-Organisation for 960 Tafeln, or food banks, nationwide, relying 100 percent on volunteers. They focus on collecting food from retailers and other companies and distributing it to people affected by poverty. In addition to this, they offer services such as warm meals, tutoring or childcare. Yearly, die Tafel redistributes around 250,000 tonnes of food, therefore being of great significance not only in reducing food waste, but also in helping the community (Tafel Deutschland). 

 

As the saying goes, caring is sharing. That is why the initiative Foodsharing.de is focused on collaborating with over 11.000 stores Germany-wide to collect food that would have normally been thrown out (foodsharing). Using the rescued food, they organize community dinners where the produce is processed and served for a small donation. This is a great opportunity to get together with people that share this motivation, or just as a great chance to have a tasty meal with friends and save some food!

This way, they make resources available for anyone interested in taking matters into their own hands starting at home. They also have the yearly Too Good for the Bin! Awards, rewarding outstanding projects that help reduce food waste. Last year (2022) Kultimativ GmbH: Heldenbrot won for the Agriculture and Production category. Heldenbrot is an initiative from Konstanz, Baden-Württemberg that  buys leftover bread from bakeries to process it into bread granulate that can then be reused in a variety of products, like more bread!!!! (Zu gut für die Tonne).

Rye-ing to the challenge – Andrea and Eloïse

Although the food waste problem is a major one, there are solutions. Looking at the problem from its source and devising ways to curtail the issue at hand is an important place to start. Whether it is within an organization, as part of a governmental strategy, or simply with friends, neighbors and family, we can make small steps for a bigger future where all the bread produced is eaten, and everyone gets a piece. Informing yourself, helping out in your community and joining forces to reduce waste can be the driving force of a movement bigger than we can imagine. At the end of the day, our planet, and our bread, is what counts the most! 

This blog was written by the students of Leuphana University with the support of the research done by Dilay Ulutaş and Yiğit Can Sezgin, and the interview from the Trabzon bakery carried out by Serhan Kurtal and Yunus Emre İpek.