Food waste is a serious problem. It not only contributes to the damage of our environment, it also represents the deep injustices that exist within our society.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) each year about a third of all food produced for human consumption is lost or wasted. That’s about 1.3 billion tons of food. This not only contributes to global hunger, but wastes precious natural resources and has devastating environmental impacts.
FOOD WASTE represents much of the environmental destruction widespread in western society. It’s also a fundamental injustice that so much food is thrown away while so many people can’t afford to eat.
Worldwide 690 million people are hungry, 8.9% of the world population. Yet globally, enough food is produced to meet everyone’s dietary needs. Global hunger isn’t about a lack of food.
Why is there Food Waste?
Food waste accumulates at all stages of the food supply chain for a variety of reasons that are dependent on the local conditions within each country.
🌽 In low-income countries, food waste happens at harvest time. Poor storage facilities lead to pest infestations and mold ruining crops. Lack of access to technology and markets means that many farmers are forced to watch their crops rot in the fields.
🌽 In high-income countries, where the vast majority of the world’s hungriest people live, food waste happens at home — when we prepare foods that go uneaten or leave food to spoil in fridges and kitchen cabinets.
COVID-19 and Food Waste
Due to massive disruptions in the food system, In some areas food couldn't reach end consumers and was ultimately wasted.
In April of 2020 the New York Times reported that many farmers in the US had to make the decision to plow over edible crops and dump up to 3.7 million gallons of milk per day. A single chicken processor was smashing 750.000 unhatched eggs every week.
The Guardian reported that because of slaughterhouse closures in the U.S. due to the pandemic, millions of pigs, chickens and cattle were euthanized in 2020.
The Footprint of Food Waste
🚜 When edible items are discarded, it’s not just food that is wasted. Consider all the resources required to bring food from the farm to your table: water for irrigation, land for planting, fuel for powering harvest and transport vehicles.
🌱 By reducing food losses and therefore, the amount of fuels, water and land being used to produce it, we can make a positive impact on the environment
🌐 If governments, technology, and individuals were to collaborate to reduce the amount of food wasted, we could contribute to end world hunger and mitigate the effects of the current climate emergency.
- Policies: Cutting global food waste in half by 2030 is one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Governments need to put in place policies that encourage food waste reduction initiatives.
- Technology: Technologies that improve harvesting techniques, storage, infrastructure, packaging and the valorization of food waste.
- Behavior: Dietary changes such as lowering our meat consumption and reducing food waste can bring positive contributions to mitigate climate change.
Here are some ways you can reduce your food waste footprint in your home:
✔️ Buy locally whenever possible: shorter supply chains equal fewer opportunities for loss.
✔️ Meal Prep: improve your meal planning.
✔️ Be informed about date labelling: Throw away food when it is truly inedible.
✔️ Compost! Composting diverts waste from landfill and therefore reduces methane emissions.
It may take some effort, but cutting the amount of food you throw away can have a real impact on the planet.
📚 Sources: FAO.org | WFP.org | NYTimes.com | TheGuardian.com | IPCC.org | UN.org
