Food Waste

Introduction

Food waste is a recognized global problem that increases especially after the Christmas period, as it is estimated that the amount of food wasted from November to the end of December increases by 25% compared to that observed during the rest of the year. As a term, food waste refers to food that is safe for consumption but ultimately ends up in the bin. It does not refer exclusively to food that is discarded by households after arriving at home, but also to food that has been lost at some stage in its production process. These stages include harvesting, processing, storage and distribution. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 1.3 billion tons of food are lost or wasted every year. This practically means that 1/3 of the food produced for consumption is ultimately lost. In Greece, we waste more than 2 million tons per year, with 930,323 coming from households.

Food waste is not only an environmental problem but also an economic one. Overall, for the countries belonging to the European Union, it is estimated that the cost of food waste amounts to 132 billion euros per year. At the same time, many households do not have the financial capacity to consume the necessary meals, exacerbating the problem of food insecurity. Exclusively for the countries of the European Union, the number of people who do not have this capacity amounts to millions. Therefore, a significant percentage of the food produced is ultimately discarded while at least 868 million people are malnourished. As the non-profit organization Public Interest Research Groups (PIRGs) states, theoretically with the same or even less food that is currently produced, simply by limiting food waste, all people on the planet could be fed.

How is food waste related to the health of the planet?

Physiological processes such as cultivation, agriculture, animal husbandry, processing, transportation and cooking of food contribute to the production of greenhouse gases. The main gases are carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and ozone. These gases have a similar effect to that of glass. Specifically, they have the ability to absorb and trap heat coming from the sun, preventing it from returning to space. In this way, the average temperature of the earth increases and global warming is observed. This action of gases is to a certain extent desirable and necessary for the maintenance of life on the planet. However, in recent years, the ever-increasing human activity has led to their accumulation and ultimately to overheating.

The above processes are responsible for 1/3 of the gases released into the atmosphere. Food waste alone is responsible for 16% of the emissions of these gases. Therefore, reducing food waste could significantly reduce the percentage of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere, thus maintaining a stable global temperature.

How can we practically reduce food waste?

The EU and its member states have put in place some preventive measures regarding food loss and waste, emphasizing a more sustainable lifestyle. With these measures, it is predicted that the problem will be halved by 2030. These measures include:

1. Monitoring and avoiding the loss of large quantities of food at the stages of the production process
2. Reusing food by individuals themselves or by donating it to charities
3. Recycling food (e.g. composting), in case it is not possible to consume it.

Regarding households, their involvement in the effort to reduce food waste is important, given that at least 40% of waste comes from them. Some simple but important measures that can be taken are the following:

1. Planning a list before the supermarket, in order to resort only to what we need
2. We take care to consume the fruits and vegetables we have at home as soon as possible, since by their nature they deteriorate more quickly.
3. Proper preservation of the foods we buy, in order to preserve their shelf life as long as possible.
4. The amount of food we cook should be as much as needed. Otherwise, we can resort to preparing delicious recipes from the foods we have left over. For example, if we have leftover chicken from the night before, we can prepare a chicken tortilla for breakfast.
5. I choose to eat fruits and vegetables when they are in season, so that they are not left at the producer after the season is over.
6. In case we consume food from outside, we can take the leftover amount to a package.

Which diet is considered Sustainable?

Sustainable is considered a diet that has a low environmental impact and provides all the necessary nutrients to maintain the health of individuals. Specific dietary patterns, such as the Mediterranean and vegetarian diets, are considered sustainable by nature as they mainly include products of plant origin with a limitation or complete exclusion of animal foods, which are associated with increased production of greenhouse gases. Therefore, a diet with a greater emphasis on fruits and vegetables, and lower in meat, processed and ultra-processed foods such as sweets, soft drinks and ready-made salty snacks, is considered sustainable. Since a sustainable diet largely utilizes foods that are easily spoiled by nature, such as fruits, vegetables and less cereals, food waste is significantly reduced, reducing even less the release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

Conclusion  

In summary, raising awareness among all of us is important in order to limit the problem of food waste both at the national and global level. In this way, the health of the planet will be maintained, while simultaneously improving the global economy and food security, as the availability of safe and high-quality nutritious foods will increase.