7 minute read
Combating food waste: a double win opportunity
Local life - Food waste
How tackling this global paradox can fight hunger and climate change
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by Stefanie Thaller
Gyros, Pizza, Sushi. Food is essential to us as a species and our cultures. We enjoy eating. But as much as we enjoy eating, we also enjoy wasting our food. When was the last time you had to throw out a food item because you realised that it had gone bad? Food waste is a large-scale problem in today’s time. The global annual average of food waste per capita is 74 kg. Greece is in first place in Europe with 142 kg per capita (UNEP Report 2021). According to estimates from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, about one third of all food produced is wasted which amounts to 1.3 billion tons per year. Meanwhile, over 800 million people go to bed hungry every night and are unable to cover their daily food needs. So much high-quality surplus is wasted that just needs to find the people that need it most. This outcome is a disgrace, and it represents a global paradox. Despite producing enough to feed 10 billion people, 1 in 9 are undernourished (UNICEF). Reducing food waste will not only improve global food security and world hunger, but it will also save money and resources and most importantly it’s a crucial part of fighting climate change. More than half of the wasted food could be avoidable as research suggests.
What are food waste and food loss?
We distinguish between food waste and food loss. Food transforms into waste in two areas: before the point of sale and after. Food loss occurs between production and distribution and is prevalent in low-income countries. Food waste on the other hand mainly occurs due to consumer behaviours such as neglect or excessive purchasing, especially in developed countries. More than 2 thirds of all food waste occurs after purchase. Meanwhile, 800 million people suffer from hunger. None of them will be fed immediately if we throw away less food. Nonetheless, the more we waste, the higher the demand on the world market and thus the prices. Therefore, throwing out food has consequences for developing countries when they cannot afford their food.
© https://lens.monash.edu/@science/2018/07/25/1355841/new-approaches-to-forsaken-food
What causes food waste? Why is excessive food waste happening?
The reasons for food waste are manifold. Discarded food occurs at all stages of the production and supply chain. During processing, loss happens due to transport damage or incorrect storage. Very strict trading requirements and high standards result in food loss because fruit and vegetables that don’t have a perfect appearance are sorted out. Better-looking produce sells better while “cosmetically challenged produce” is left behind. While harvesting, many agricultural products are sorted out because they don’t meet the standards. Imperfect-looking food is often discarded even if it’s perfectly edible. Another reason for food waste is the so-called “illusion of abundance”. People shop visually. This means that the consumer always wants full shelves of fresh produce. The last lonely apple is often left on the rack because the purchaser thinks it is left there for a reason and must be bad. That is why supermarkets often overbuy products that inevitably go to waste after.
How does it affect the climate? What are the environmental consequences?
Food waste has a substantial negative impact on the environment due to the wastage of energy required to transport and prepare it as well as the methane gases it releases during landfill decomposition. It costs resources, such as those needed for fertilisation, transportation, and storage, which increases energy use and fastens climate change. The food that ends up in the trash, wastes important supplies that are urgently needed in other countries. Food loss and food waste are responsible for 8 – 10 % of global greenhouse gas emissions (UNEP Report 2021). A head of lettuce for instance will take 25 years to decompose in a landfill, releasing CO2 into the atmosphere, which warms the planet. Food waste on a global scale contributes more to climate change than air and ground transportation combined. Food waste is a preventable problem and addressing it means tackling both climate change and hunger.
Initiatives against food waste
To spread awareness a lot of campaigns against food waste have been founded. Initiatives such as food sharing and platforms like “too good to go” are taking the first step in the right direction but they are only a drop in the ocean. In order to tackle the problem fully, policymakers must enact more binding regulations. Governments play a crucial role in setting the agenda for fighting food waste. Some countries are leading the way, for instance, France: Since 2015 supermarkets must donate leftover food. Wasting perfectly fine food will be punished.
What can the consumer do?
At every stage of the supply chain, there are tangible solutions to these issues. Even though food waste is a structural problem that requires top-down regulations, the individual must do their part. 61 % of food waste happens in households. We as consumers have it in our hands to make a change. That begins with lowering our standards. A lot of the waste in our society comes down to our choice and wanting to have the option to eat everything at any time. We expect an abundance of food in supermarkets because that is what we are accustomed to. We need to gain an awareness of the amounts of resources and energy that lie behind full shelves. The same goes for customers’ wishes on what the appearance of food must look like. Produce with beauty faults that are in perfect condition gets thrown away because it doesn’t meet our aesthetical standards. Therefore, we must appreciate imperfect food more and refrain from expecting standardised, flawless produce.
© https://www.verbraucherzentrale.de/wissen/ lebensmittel/auswaehlen-zubereiten-aufbewahren/landwirtschaft-obst-gemuese-und-kartoffeln-im-schoenheitstest-59573
Another way of preventing food waste is making friends with your freezer. By freezing your leftovers you can extend the life expectancy of your food and use up the items you already have without buying new products. Even though strolling around the supermarket aisles with no aim is very enjoyable, the most effective way of avoiding food waste is making a meal plan and having a list while shopping. A general misconception is the expiration date. Most people throw out a product when that date has been exceeded. In fact, that date is merely an indicator of how long that food retains its typical properties such as taste, colour, or nutritional values when correctly stored. This date is chosen by the manufacturer rather than being mandated by legislation, so it can be set arbitrarily. The expiration date indicates that it’s best before not poisonous after. Relying on your senses usually tells you if the food has gone bad. What tastes, looks, and smells good, is good in most cases. So next time you want to throw out an item that exceeded the expiration date, have a second look if it has genuinely gone bad.
We must collaborate on all levels to distribute the resources we already have because food waste is an avoidable issue. After all, food waste is a global problem with an enormous impact on world hunger and climate change. At the moment, the dimensions that the problem has taken on are concerning. The good news is however that we can make the change. The first step is to value our food again.
Special thanks to Elena Konstantara for her support in providing scientific research from her University.
