Tips to reduce food waste

There is no doubt that composting is better than sending food to landfill, but reducing food waste is just as important in minimising the impact on the environment.

It has been reported that around 14% of food produced globally is lost between harvest and retail, while an estimated 17% of total global food production is wasted (households & retail). To put this into context, every year, across the world, 1.3 billion tonnes of food is either lost (from harvest) or wasted (at consumer or retail level), according to the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) Food Waste Index .

Reducing food loss and waste is essential in a world where millions of people go hungry every day. In fact, as many as 811 million people were undernourished in 2020, 118 million more than 2019.

Inger Andersen, the Chief of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) released a statement in 2021 saying, “if we want to get serious about tackling climate change, nature and biodiversity loss, and pollution and waste, businesses, governments and citizens around the world have to do their part to reduce food waste.”

Sadly, food waste has become a habit for many: buying more than we need at markets, letting fruit and vegetables spoil at home or taking larger portions than we can eat. If you think about it, when food is wasted, we waste the labour, effort, investment and resources (water, seeds, feed etc) that go into producing it. Unfortunately, this food ends up in landfill which leads to greenhouse gas emissions, contributing to climate change.

Let’s talk how:

Buy what you need: Plan meals, make shopping lists and avoid impulse buys
Don’t judge food by its appearance: Oddly shaped fruit is thrown away as they don’t meet aesthetic standards, but they still taste the same. Mature fruits are great for smoothies, juices or desserts.
Store food wisely: Move older products to the front of your cupboard or fridge and new ones to the back. Use airtight containers to keep open food fresh in the fridge.
Start small: Take smaller portions at home or share large dishes at restaurants.
Love your leftovers: If you don’t eat everything you make, freeze it for later or use the leftovers as an ingredient in another meal.
Put your food waste to good use: Instead of throwing food scraps, compost them. This way, you’re giving nutrients back to the soil and reducing your carbon footprint.
Respect food: When we think about food’s backstory, it is easier to see what our food really represents and how precious it really is.

In the words of Sir David Attenborough “Don’t waste food. Don’t waste power. They are precious and we can’t live without them. We are all consumers of these things and we must act responsibly.”

Let’s do it together.

Sources:
https://www.fao.org/state-of-food-security-nutrition
Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, https://www.fao.org/fao-stories/article/en/c/1309609/
https://www.youtube.com/embed/6IDTsc3Cn7U
https://www.fao.org/international-day-awareness-food-loss-waste/en/
https://news.un.org/en/story/2021/03/1086402
https://www.fao.org/fao-stories/article/en/c/1309567/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvUS6KiufUs
https://www.youtube.com/embed/KZf9_GdDff0
https://www.un.org/en/observances/end-food-waste-day
https://www.unep.org/resources/report/unep-food-waste-index-report-2021
https://www.independent.ie/entertainment/david-attenborough-one-thing-we-can-all-do-is-stop-waste-37951324.html