As I reflected on the topic of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste I decided to go back to the Book of Genesis where God created everything but especially all kinds of vegetation for our use:
“The earth brought forth vegetation: every kind of plant that bears seed and every kind of fruit tree that bears fruit that bears seed in it. God saw that it was good”. (Gen. 1:12)
Now, 2022 years later I wonder how we are doing with all of the good things that God has given and continues to give us for our use? With that in mind it is interesting that we waste such a vast amount of food every day. So great has the problem been that we need “An International Day of Food Loss and Waste”. But reducing food loss and waste is essential in a world where the number of people affected by hunger has been slowly on the rise and tons of edible foods are lost and wasted every day. By examining the situation, I would hope to call attention to both public and private groups to reduce food loss and waste.
Globally, around 14% of food produced, is lost between harvest and retail, while 17% of food is wasted (11% in households, 5% in food services, and 2% in retail). When food is lost or wasted, all of the resources that were used to produce this food such as water, land, and energy go to waste. The disposal of food in landfills leads to gas emission which contributes to Climate Change. Food Loss and waste can also negatively impact food security and food availability as well as contributing to the rising cost of food.
At the present time (September 2022) we are experiencing the side effects of climate change as most of the world combats extremely high temperatures and fires. Food prices are also soaring and this has occurred indirectly from our food losses and waste. So actions are required globally and locally to maximize the use of the food we produce. We need to find new ways of working and good practices to manage food quality so as to reduce food waste and food loss. I would to suggest some of those ways.
- Conscious grocery shopping: Avoid buying more than is needed.
- Proper food storing. The way you store your food can help increase shelf-life and purchases.
- Considerate serving size: a right serving portion can help prevent food loss.
- Freeze and store left-overs for further use.
- Compost Scraps. Composting food scraps will improve soil and water quality.
Reducing food waste can save or make money for farmers, businesses, and organizations. Wholesome food that is currently wasted could help families in need. Each year Feeding America and its network of food banks receive about 3.6 billion pounds of food. This represents only a small percentage of the food that could have been donated but ended up in landfills.
As you read this article , are you more aware of Food Loss and Waste? What will you do about it? Each person can make a difference.
Mary Riordan
US Region
