In many cultures and religions all over the world, the end-of-year holiday season is traditionally a time to get together with family and friends, for celebration and consumption. There is also huge commercial pressure to spend more lavishly but global patterns of consumption are nothing to celebrate. We tend to buy too much and we throw out too much.
Forty percent of Europeans feel forced to spend on seasonal gifts, and one in seven get a gift they do not want. Consumers in the US spend $1 trillion on Christmas presents. US$1 trillion is also the value of all the food that is lost or wasted around the globe every year. This pattern of waste and over-consumption runs rampant through our food system and carries over to the kitchen and the dinner table.
So, the holiday season is a good time to reflect on the climate and environmental consequences of food loss and food waste. And by making some different choices, we can help meet the UN Sustainable Development Goal of halving food waste and loss by 2030 to help save the planet and feed millions more people.
On a global basis, food that is lost or wasted is enough to feed two billion people, more than twice the number of undernourished people globally, according to the UN World Food Program. If food waste were a country, it would be the third largest CO2 emitter after the US and China.
As you can see from the chart, food loss occurs in the food production, storage and distribution parts of the food chain. Food waste is food fit for consumption but it does not get eaten and is thrown out. Food loss is more prevalent in developing countries whereas food waste is a larger problem in the developed world.
For example, 24 million slices of bread are wasted everyday in the UK. And globally, 45% of all fruits and vegetables are wasted, the highest attrition rate of any food group. None of us want the vegetable hydrator in the fridge to live up to its nickname — “the rotting box.”
The Food Climate Research Network at Oxford University www.foodsource.org.uk has identified that the drivers of food loss and waste vary between countries depending on income.
In higher income countries, food is lost or wasted because:
Farmers produce more than is necessary to fulfill supply contracts.
Strict quality standards mean that edible food is not offered for sale.
Food is trimmed during processing.
Supermarkets stock large quantities resulting in some food expiring before it can be sold.
More people are able to afford to waste food than in lower income countries.
When food constitutes a smaller portion of household budgets, it can lead people to buy more food than they can eat.
In lower income countries, “consumer-level food waste is relatively rare, because many people cannot afford to waste food.” However, food is lost or wasted because of:
Crops being harvested too early, due to the need for money or food, which can make them unsuitable for consumption.
Poor drying or refrigerated storage infrastructure.
Insufficient industry capacity for processing, transporting and preserving food.
Unsanitary conditions in wholesale or retail markets.
To fight back, the UN World Food Program is running a campaign called #Stopthewaste at https://www.wfpusa.org/hunger-and-food-waste/
“Food waste is a global issue but everyone can play their part in building a sustainable solution. Whether you are a farmer in Nigeria losing your crops after harvest, or a restaurant diner in New York, wasting the leftovers from your meal, you really can help to #StoptheWaste,” says Corinne Woods, Chief Marketing Officer, World Food Program.
The program includes a range of measures aimed at both consumers and at food system practices:
A social media campaign asking you to take a cell phone picture of that forgotten, but still edible, food item at the back of the fridge and share your cooking ideas with friends.
Recipes from celebrity chefs on how to cook with those forgotten food items.
Programs to use “naturally imperfect” fruit and vegetables that are usually discarded only because of their appearance. A pilot project in Africa is using some of the 83 tons of “ugly” food rejected for export every day in Kenya to feed school lunches to thousands of students.
Mini grain silos with air tight bags that can hold 925 lbs of grain help smallholder farmers in the developing world prevent their crops from spoiling.
Hydroponic farming projects for producers in arid climates.
Other measures you can take:
Plan meals and buy less.
Store leftovers at the front of the fridge so they don’t get forgotten.
Eat plant-based meals which use Earth’s resources more efficiently than meat, dairy and eggs.
For more ideas, visit our Take Action section https://www.planetfriendlynews.com/take-action
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