Awareness on Food Loss and Waste Reduction

 

Awareness on Food Loss and Waste Reduction

By – Prof.Atul R Deshpande

Why is it important to reduce food loss and waste?

Around 14 percent of the world's food is lost after harvest, up to - but not including the retail stage of the supply chain, and an estimated 17 per cent is wasted in retail and at the consumption level.

This food loss and waste account for 8 -10 per cent of the total global GHGs - contributing to an unstable climate and extreme weather events such as droughts and flooding. These changes negatively impact crop yields, reduce the nutritional quality of crops, cause supply chain disruptions and threaten food security and nutrition.

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development –calls for halving per- capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels and reducing food losses along production and supply chains.

An estimated 3.1 billion people worldwide do not have access to a healthy diet and some 828 million people go hungry. All of this means there is an urgent need to accelerate action to reduce food loss and waste.

With eight years left to reach the target, the urgency for scaling up action to reduce food loss and waste cannot be overemphasized. Reducing food loss and waste presents an opportunity for immediate climate benefits while improving the overall sustainability of our food systems – a necessary transformation to ensure better planetary and nutritional outcomes for current and future generations.

How to reduce food waste

 1.Avoid buying too much

One of the simplest ways to avoid food waste as a consumer is to buy less. A packed fridge may look appealing, but it may lead to food waste if the household cannot eat all of the food. Taking a couple of shorter trips to the grocery store each week rather than one longer trip may prevent people from buying too much food and help cut back on waste.

 

2.Think twice before throwing food away

Many greens and vegetables may slightly soften or wilt when they are just past ripe. They still may make excellent additions to soups, smoothies, or baked dishes. People can use leftover vegetable scraps to make a soup stock. Even stale bread makes toast or breadcrumbs. “Best before” dates can be misleading — if produce still appears fresh and usable, it is usually fine to eat it.

 

3.Always make a shopping list

Buying foods that are already in the home can ultimately become another source of waste. Taking an inventory of the food in the house and making a grocery list before going to the store might help people avoid purchasing unnecessary foods and cut back on potential waste.

 

4. Organizing the kitchen with FIFO

Organizing the fridge and pantry can help people keep track of what they have at home and help them to identify foods that are ready to eat.“FIFO” stands for “first in, first out” and is a useful way to organize food at home. Placing newly bought foods at the back of the cupboard or fridge will encourage people to use the food in the front row first, which will ensure freshness and reduce waste.

For example, if a person keeps lots of tins at home, ensure that the ones closest to their expiry date are at the front of the cupboard and use those first.

5. Store food correctly

Perishable items, such as fruits and vegetables, each have their best way to store to avoid spoilage. Some tips include:

• keeping the refrigerator below 5°C (41°F)
• storing cooked foods on shelves above raw foods
• storing food in sealed containers

Always transfer leftovers from open cans into a suitable container. Do not store it in the can.