Montreal group calls on city to hold public consultation about food waste

A group of citizens and organizations is askingMontreal to hold a public consultation on food waste in the city, saying it's a problem that can't be ignored.

The group has launched a petition on the City of Montreal's website, which would force the city to hold a public consultation on the subject if it garners 15,000 signatures in 90 days.

Launched on Aug. 19, the petition had about 4,200 signatures as of Friday morning.

The group is hoping that a consultation will provide a forum for interested parties to discuss solutions and examine the impact of residential and commercial food waste.

"One-third of the food in the world is not eaten it's just going into the garbage. So it's really a big issue, and I think we need to focus on that," saidGuillaume Cantin, one of the people behind the petition.

Cantin is the co-founder and director of La Transformerie, anon-profit that takes unsold produceand transforms it into fruit spreads.

He said that a public consultation would be a good start to addressing a difficult, city-wide issue.

"I think this is a first step we need to go on, because we're going tobe sure to understand the real problem it's really complex."

City of Montreal executive committee member milie Thuilliertold CBC that she thinks food waste is an issue worthy ofdiscussion.

"It's a problem of society, and as public officials, we want to help people, and to help society to find solutions," she said.

The petition has until Nov. 17 to garner the necessary remaining signatures.