Food Wastage

Understanding Food Wastage

• Food Wastage is the discarding of food in any stage of the food supply chain that is safe and nutritious for human consumption.
• This can occur in different stages such as production, post-harvest, processing, distribution and consumption.
• Overproducing, not using food within its expiry date or improper storage leading to spoilage can contribute toward wastage.
• Wasted food can have a significant environmental impact, as resources used for production, like water, land and energy, go in vain and add to greenhouse gases in the form of methane released from landfill.

Methods to Reduce Food Wastage

• Checking ‘use by’ and ‘best before’ dates on products and planning meals accordingly can prevent wastage due to food going off.
• Storing food properly can maintain its quality for longer and prevent spoilage. For instance, some fruits and vegetables last longer when refrigerated, while others do well in a cool, dark pantry.
• Composting can be an excellent way to recycle organic waste like fruit and vegetable peelings.
• Leftovers can often be refrigerated and consumed within a couple of days, or frozen for future use.
• Understanding and implementing portion control can reduce wastage during the consumption phase.
• Donating surplus food to food banks can help those in need and prevent perfectly good food from going to waste.

Impact of Food Wastage

• Food wastage not only leads to financial losses but also places unnecessary strain on the environment due to excessive farming and related activities.
• Landfill waste from spoiled food releases harmful gases like methane, contributing to climate change.
• Reducing food wastage could help tackle significant global problems like malnutrition and hunger.
• Working towards cutting down on food wastage can be an instrumental part of sustainable food preparation and consumption.

By understanding these concepts and practices, individuals can contribute towards a more sustainable food system with lower wastage and environmental impact. Careful food selection, preparation, storage and composting can significantly reduce food wastage at the household level.