Nourishment and food waste
What we eat and how much food we waste is an important factor in global food security.
Today one in nine people still suffer from hunger, even though the total amount of food production worldwide is sufficient for everyone! How can we ensure that people everywhere—not just in rich countries—have enough to eat each day? There are three major factors: what we produce, what we eat, and how much food is lost between the field and our tables.
A portion of our foodstuffs are wasted before it ever reaches us: Some crops die in the fields, for example when farmers have no way to irrigate during dry spells or when harvests are destroyed by pests. And in poor countries in particular, a substantial amount of food spoils on the way to the consumer because the supply chains don’t function properly or because there is no way to cool or store products.
Much food is also lost even after it has already reached the market and the consumer. Substantial amounts of food are simply thrown away, especially in wealthy nations: produce to be sold is culled if it does not have the right shape; other products are thrown out because they are not considered fresh enough. And we consumers also throw a lot away because we bought more than we needed. All of this adds up to astonishing amounts: Nearly half (45 per cent) of all fruits and vegetables are wasted. The waste per person is higher in affluent countries than in poorer ones. The world’s richest nations waste nearly as much food as is produced in all of Sub-Saharan Africa. It is thus a political and economic task to reduce this waste. And a task that each and every one of us can assist with.
What we eat also affects global food security. Meat consumption is increasing worldwide, particularly in emerging nations. Poor people generally cannot afford to buy meat. Plant-based foodstuffs can also feed more people while requiring fewer land resources. A comparison: The amount of beef produced on a hectare of land is enough to feed 650 people for one day. If the same area were to be planted with grain, it could sustain 3 900 people. A diet low in meat thus contributes to improving global food security.
Photo credit: CC Ed Sweeney@Flickr.com
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