Food waste is a growing concern for all of us globally, not just as an environmental issue, but as an economic issue and an issue of food security. Nearly one-third of all food produced globally (about 1.3 billion tons) is lost or wasted each year. While this may seem like a distant issue for many of us, food waste occurs at many levels of the supply chain from the farm to the household. In order to reduce food waste, it is important to understand what is causing it and consider ways to stop it.

The Scale of the Issue
Food waste happens for many reasons, and some of them are understandable. At the producer level, waste might occur because of aesthetic reasons or because they have grown too much of the product. Retailers often discard food that is close to its expiration date, when many items are often thrown out two or three days before expiration, even when they could be eaten if cooked or eaten quickly. In our households, poor planning and lack of knowledge around "best before" dates create a large quantity of wasted food. All of this waste is not only raw food (and nutrients) but it will unnecessarily use water, energy, and land, while we go on without food and many people go hungry every day.
Environmental and Economic Impact
Food waste plays a major role in climate change. When it decays, food emits methane, which is a greenhouse gas that is many times worse than carbon dioxide. In addition to the waste of food, there's also the waste of resources to produce it. Fuel, fertilizers, and plastic and paper packaging are also wasted. Food waste costs the global economy more than $1 trillion per year, which translates to losses for farmers, businesses, and consumers.
Simple but effective steps
1. Make smarter shopping decisions and plan your meals
People can make a big impact simply by dealing smarter with their meals and food purchases by shopping only after planning meals and making a shopping list. This will help you avoid bulk purchases that will spoil before they are used.
2. Store your food correctly
It is important to know how to store different types of fruits and vegetables, and to store leftovers correctly. This will avoid spoilage.
3. Educate on expiry labels
More education on the difference between “best before” and “use by” could eliminate premature disposal of perfectly safe and edible food.
4. Donate your surplus food
Food banks, shelters, and kitchen pantries could make use of all the extra food that grocery stores, restaurants, and even households toss in the trash.
5. Composting
Try to compost your organic waste if nothing else. Composting is a way to avoid food waste getting to the landfill, and gives you nutrient-rich soil.
It Takes All of Us
As infighting food waste will require action from all levels (individuals, businesses, and governments). Collective action and awareness can be impactful, individuals can make a difference, but choice means careful consideration of the impact we can make, which in the end results in a more sustainable future for us all.
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