World Food Day – The urge to stop the Wastage of Food

On this World Food Day, let’s take a pledge to stop the prevailing hunger in the world. It is estimated that around 14 per cent of food produced for human consumption is lost every year from the stage where it is grown up to the time it reaches the market. More food is wasted at the retail and consumer stages of food. Also, over two billion people do not have regular access to safe, nutritious, and sufficient food to eat.

We should adapt to innovative solutions to stop the ongoing wastage of food so that no individual sleeps hungry on any day. On this crucial day, we can do our bit by reducing food wastage and becoming a food hero by following these steps:

• Avoid buying more food than you need: It is important to note that one should buy food only that is necessary. Same way, it applies to our homes too. Don’t let fruits and vegetables spoil at home or take larger portions than what needed to consume. The habit of wasting food puts an extra burden on our natural resources (water, seeds) and damages our environment.
• Do not waste leftovers: If you aren’t to consume the full food you made then keep your food safely in the freezer. You can also use the leftovers as an ingredient in another meal but not all leftovers can be re-used to make a new meal, but some like rice, curries, leftover breads, can be given a makeover.
• Donate food instead of throwing away: Throwing away of foods leads to wastage. Donate your surplus food to needy people. You can look for various apps in this hi-tech world that collects food and give it to the poor and underprivileged sections of society.
• Look for expiry dates of products from time to time: Reading the labels on your packaged food items like pasta, legumes or canned items are essentials to avoid wastage. These are the first suspects to throw away when it’s time to clean your pantry and refrigerator. A little bit of mindfulness can prevent this kind of wastage in the long run.
• Think out of the box while cooking: Learning to cook is one of the best ways to avoid food wastage, as you can make wise use of ingredients when you have the proper knowledge. One needs to put in little creativity and some willingness to work towards the common goal of eradicating hunger.
• Go for sustainable diets: Healthy eating doesn’t have to be expensive or wasteful and doesn’t need to involve complex meals. You can have nutritious meals using simple, healthy ingredients as well. Look for sustainable meals patterns while cooking to eradicate wastage of food.

Over to you:

Make judicious food choices on this World Food Day while handling and preparing your meals so that every individual has food on their plates. Eat today for a better tomorrow!