Photo by Joshua Hoehne on Unsplash
Food waste is a problem that modern society has been dealing with over the past couple of decades. And while the data was already shocking, it seems that we may have underestimated how much food we waste. But why is food waste becoming so widespread and how should we tackle the issue?
The Numbers Never Lie
Back in 2011, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization estimated that more than one-third of food is wasted. A new study, done by Wageningen University & Research, presents a darker reality. According to the research, we are now throwing away almost double the amount we did back in 2011. And the numbers keep getting higher.
Who Are the Culprits?
The same study reveals that food waste starts to emerge as a problem in countries where consumers spend about $6.70 a day (per capita). To put things into perspective, many people in the Asia Pacific and Africa can’t afford to spend that much on food. Therefore, we can draw the conclusion that richer countries are more likely to waste food.
Another research points toward the US and how much food its citizens waste every day. When comparing the numbers with the rest of the world, the difference is staggering. On average, US citizens are wasting more than 1,000 Kcal/cap/day.
Ultimately, it all seems to boil down to how much we value food and how much are we willing to spend on it. Impoverished people and those with a lower salary will waste less food simply because they value it more.
What Can We Do About Food Waste?
It seems that the issue lies in the quantity of food we buy and how much of it we actually end up consuming. Sometimes, we buy products that we don’t use, either because we forget about them or because we don’t want them anymore. That is mostly due to a lack of financial and food education.
According to an interview done in 2019, people do feel guilty about food waste. However, according to the same interview, shaming people into buying less is not the solution.
Educating people about expiration labels might be the best chance we have of reducing food waste. The more people learn about food waste, the more they will start to care.
Let’s Put an End to Food Waste!
The takeaway is that we all need to make an effort to reduce food waste, regardless of our financial situation. While education is a big step toward a better future, it is just the start of a rather long journey. With a bit of effort and interest, hopefully, we will manage to curb the growth of food waste.
