Food wastage reduction

[Teena Thomas]

Food loss and waste refer to the decrease in mass (quantitative) or nutritional value (qualitative) of food – edible parts – throughout the supply chain that was intended for human consumption.

Roughly one-third of the food produced in the world for human consumption every year – approximately 1.3 billion tonnes of fruits, vegetables, meat, dairy, seafood, and grains that either never leave the farm, get lost or spoiled during distribution, or are thrown away in hotels, grocery stores, restaurants, schools, or home kitchens. It could be enough calories to feed every undernourished person on the planet.

CONSEQUENCES OF FOOD WASTAGE.

1.Increased Global warming

When we waste food, we also waste all the energy and water it takes to grow, harvest, transport, and package it. And the food goes to the landfill and rots, it produces methane—a greenhouse gas even more potent than carbon dioxide.

2. Acceleration of climate change

The methane gas produced at landfills by food thrown out as waste further aggravates climate change and global warming.

3.Economic consequences

According to FAO’s report estimates, the economic losses associated with food wastage is about $750 billion dollars per annum.

4. Loss of biodiversity

For rearing or growing livestock deforestation is done. This affects our natural flora and fauna.

5. Rising food price.

 

STEPS TO REDUCE FOOD WASTAGE AS A CONSUMER

1.Plan ahead and buy only what you need

2.Use your freezer – Cooking and freezing food—especially produce—before it goes bad is a great way to avoid having to toss it.

3.Be creative with leftovers – Search and try to prepare dishes using the ingredients already present in your kitchen.

4. Blend, bake, or boil – Try using your wilting, browning, or imperfect produce to make sweet smoothies, bread, jams, sauces, or soup stocks.

5. Talk it up – If we avoid producing food that we don’t eat, we can save the land, water, and energy that would have been used to make it.

 

Let us work together to reduce food loss and waste for the benefit of people and our planet!