Globally, about 14% of the food produced is lost between harvest and sale, and about 17% of the food produced worldwide is wasted. Food loss and waste make it hard for our food systems to last. When food is lost or thrown away, all the water, land, energy, labour, and capital used to make it go to waste.
Additionally, putting food loss and waste in landfills causes the release of greenhouse gases, which contributes to climate change. Food loss and waste can also hurt food security and availability and make food more expensive.
If we don’t take critical steps to stop food waste, the numbers will keep increasing. We need to work together and devise a plan to do something about food waste. So, let’s talk about how to get people to care about food waste.
Education is a Must
Almost all of us have wasted food at some point in our lives. Many of us don’t think twice about throwing out food that we haven’t eaten or that has gone bad. A big part of this is because people don’t know enough about how food is made. Some people think that we could never run out of fruits and vegetables. People need to be taught not to waste food.
In the same way that people have been taught not to waste energy or the dangers of smoking, they need to know that food waste is a problem. Food waste has many causes that come from the supplier, the store, and the consumer. This means that everyone or everything in this chain needs to understand the effects of food waste in order to make the necessary changes to fix the problem.
Pass on Our Knowledge
We can make a difference if we all do our part and work together. Minor adjustments can lead to large ones, and this is where we’ll start to see benefits. People say that sharing is caring, and nothing could be more accurate when it comes to food waste. We should all care a lot about how much food we throw away. And now is the time for people who know more about the problem of food waste to share what they know. Sharing information about how food waste affects the environment or the economy can shock people into changing their ways.
Think Differently About Food Waste
It will have to be taught in schools if we want to change the way people think in the future. But to make a change right now, everyone needs to know how much it costs, what they can do to lower it, how to get rid of waste, and what they can do with it. This could mean teaching people how to buy less, how to store their food, or even how grocery stores can get rid of food that is still good but has passed its “use-by” date.
Education is a key part of our efforts to stop food from going to waste. And we need to teach them a lot. As we try to make people more aware of food waste, sharing information and making it more visible helps us all move in the right direction.
Government Involvement
The government places significant emphasis on food security. It is anticipated that food production will need to double by 2050 in order to feed the world’s 9 billion inhabitants1. This is a worrying number that could indicate even greater food waste. As a result, nearly every government around the globe must undertake projects and campaigns to raise public awareness of the food waste problem.
Individuals and corporations should be considered in this combination. Although this type of education, they must address the issue through persuasive advertising efforts. Providing incisive information and addressing policy can increase policy awareness. Additionally, the government can also adopt the steps like sustainable packaging in the food industry that helps us to reduce the environmental impact. They should raise awareness about food waste and promotes sustainable packaging. They only need to evaluate the severity of the issue accurately.
Community Food Waste Campaign
Consider sharing a message about “I Value Food” with community organisations such as your workplace, church, or children’s school. You should start asking them to share information about the food waste issue in an upcoming newsletter. Then, consider how you might assist them in preventing and reducing waste, such as by donating surplus food from cafeterias or meetings to shelters or launching a composting programme. If your organisation already has a “green team” or staff involvement programme, try adding food waste to the group’s action items and doing a food waste challenge together.
In a Nutshell
Food waste isn’t just a sign of hunger, climate change, or pollution; it’s also a sign of many other economic problems, like inflation. Everyone should know how important food is and waste as little as possible.
You can deal with food waste by spreading awareness about it. Another thing you can do is to share food with others with the help of food sharing platform like Upyogya, you can add your food items (Packed or Unpacked) at Upyogya and share them with those in need.
