Why wastage of food is a major issue

Food is one of the basic commodities needed to sustain life. There has always been an imbalance in the distribution of food. There are many reasons why food is wasted. Bad weather, processing problems, overproduction and unstable markets, overbuying, poor planning .etc. are some of the reasons that cause food wastage. Wasted food, directly and indirectly, affects the environment as well.

What has wasted food?

There are two types of food loss. One is food loss and the other is food waste. Food loss belongs to the wider category which includes edible foods that is uneaten at any point in time including the waste from home and stores. It also includes the leftover crops from the fields, food that gets spoiled in transportation and that gets spoiled in transportation. Food waste, on the other hand, is part of food loss. It includes a half-eaten meal or leftover from restaurants or even the food we throw on the drain.

Where does food loss happen?

At each point of the food chain, edible food is lost. From farms to fishing boats to restaurants and homes.

Reasons why food gets wasted?

There are several reasons why food gets wasted. The major one is turning new consumer awareness into action. The public should be made aware of the impact of wasting food. Some countries have largely benefited by increasing public awareness on the issue. Another reason could be that it has not been effectively measured or studied. Many European countries have conducted surveys to understand what measures can be taken to overcome and combat the food wastage issue.

What are the environmental impacts of food wastage?

Only a few per cent of food waste is composited which in turn causes to be a major reason why solid waste keeps increasing in many parts of the world. The issue with landfills is that the food gradually breaks down to form methane which is a greenhouse gas that is almost 80 times more powerful than carbon dioxide. Consumer food waste also has serious implications for energy usage. In addition to this, food waste is also responsible for more than 25 per cent of freshwater consumption which is one of the major reasons for freshwater pollution.

What can be done?

There are many ways how we can prevent food wastage, some of these are:

Plan your meals and shop in advance

Plan a zero-waste kitchen

Cook smart, reduce waste while cooking

Learn how to composite at home

Check with local authorities if they have any programs for waste management

Donate surplus food

Turn food waste into useful goods

The main reason why food wastage is a major concern is that it contributes to the emission of greenhouse gasses. The issue is not just about consumers creating waste but from the whole process of food production that includes growing of crops, livestock and even manufacturing process/ There is also wasted resources like water, then there is also transportation of produce and processing of food. It is shocking to know that one-third of food produced globally is wasted and that is that equates to 1.3 billion tones and again a quarter of our water supply is needed to produce the food we eat.

Improving education and awareness for food waste will certainly solve the issue of food waste and would eventually make everyone realize how crucial the problem is. Only when we acknowledge on both a global scale and on a supply chain level, then only correct changes can be implemented to reduce food waste which is, for now, a real problem.