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IMPACT
Waste Not Want Not Did we develop a more sustainable relationship with food in the pandemic? Hannah Sutton investigates. When the pandemic began in early 2020, panic set in for many people; visions of a dystopian disaster surrounding the first lockdown in March were common. Food shortages plagued the country as people started bulk buying goods with long shelf lives, leaving stores empty.
‘Those who were shielding were especially vulnerable, as they couldn’t ‘come back in the morning’’
This was a double-edged knife; stores were left unable to cater to those in need, at the same time as people were being told they needed weeks’, if not months’, supply. Working in a supermarket, it was heart-breaking to see those who were genuinely struggling to fill their cupboards up. Those who were shielding were especially vulnerable, as they couldn’t ‘come back in the morning’ when our deliveries were due.
Fear and anxiety surrounded supermarkets, with images of crowds at a time when masks were not required by law and social distancing wasn’t enforced. Shoppers at home were booking out the online grocery slots for weeks in advance, leaving little to no option for more sustainability in preventing these shortages. Even a year on, supermarkets are still struggling to meet customer’s expectations. When the announcement of the lockdown in January occurred, there was still a flocking to supermarkets and selling out of commodities. Limits on popular food items are still common.
‘Food is not an endless commodity’ Food is not an endless commodity, and with the departure from the European Union in the beginning of 2021, prices of foreign imported items are increasing. Food needs to be used sustainably, not bought ‘because you can’. It is a privilege to be able to buy perishable items, but they can’t just sit there and go to waste. Since the pandemic, our relationship with food has changed. For some, such as key workers, this means buying when you can; their days come more to revolve around other people rather than themselves. Others, such as those who are shielding, have had to think about having enough food to see them through weeks, or even months. There has also been a growth in community donating or sharing food, so it does not go to waste and is distributed equally. Food waste makes up 90% of waste in landfill at a time when this year alone some months saw thousands of children in hospital for malnutrition. If we don’t develop our ideas sustainability, it will soon leave us with less options, and more waste, which the environment cannot handle.
By Hannah Sutton Illustrations and Page Design by Sarah MacAllan
