Khalid Ul Islam
Athe Government, as well as social organizations, are concerned about food waste. The World Food and Agriculture Organization, the International Agricultural Development Fund, and the World Food Program have teamed up to create a global mission to reduce food waste.
We’ve all heard stories about how much food is wasted during weddings and festivals. A lot of food is thrown away on these occasions. We can see that there is a lot of food left even at hotels. At weddings, a variety of delicacies are provided, which has become a tradition. A variety of foods are cooked and presented to visitors who have been invited. People devour more food than their stomachs can hold and then throw it out.
On the one hand, millions of people are malnourished, while millions of tonnes of food are wasted every day, which is an irony. Every year, one-third of the food produced on the planet is thrown away. Extreme food waste is also contributing to climate change, as leftover food is strewn across landfills, producing methane gas.
According to a World Food Organization report, every seventh person on the planet sleeps hungry. In the World Hunger Index, India is placed 67th. Every year, India produces 251 million tonnes of grain, but every fourth Indian goes to bed hungry. According to a survey by the Indian Institute of Public Administration, India’s delivery system causes 23 million tonnes of pulses, 120 million tonnes of fruits, and 21 million tonnes of vegetables to deteriorate each year.
Our country is now dealing with the issue of food waste. The government, scientists, and farmers work tirelessly day and night to supply the food needs of our entire country’s population.
Farmers grow these things on the ground and bring them to our tables after putting in a lot of effort and money. Each month, around a third of these groceries, are thrown out owing to carelessness in households and businesses. It is thus not only a waste of food, but also a waste of money invested in it.
The best way to save is to prevent wastage. The same thing applies in the case of food. Here are some suggested ways to reduce food wastage:
Plan your full week’s or months’ worth of meals ahead of time and shop appropriately. Don’t go overboard with anything. If you don’t plan your dinner ahead of time, you’ll waste more food. For example, suppose we purchase cheese and keep it in the refrigerator for several days. Then it will spoil, and we will have to discard it. It is preferable if we simply purchase what is required. When you go to the market, make sure to check the refrigerator and the storeroom, as well as the goods and the house’s ends.
We frequently forget to keep food in the refrigerator since it is out of sight. Things like these tend to go wrong. To avoid wasting food, we should clean our refrigerator every three to four days. Whatever you put in it will be visible, and we will finish it in the order in which you put it.
Serve as many people as you can. We frequently toss leftover food into the trash after serving it in excess. This is something you should avoid doing. Feeding children is generally a waste of food; thus, avoid it.
The most pressing concern is how can we reduce personal food waste. On the one hand, the rich class believes wasting food to be a natural right; on the other hand, the country’s people are starving. Because India is a country where festivals and weddings are held regularly, and large numbers attend these events, it is understandable that food is wasted. It’s not only about a day or a house; this negative habit has progressively become ingrained in people’s lives.
Measures to prevent food wastage
* Buy intelligently whenever you go grocery shopping; try to buy just those items that will keep you fresh for a long period. This will also keep you from wasting unneeded items. Store foods properly. Maximum wastage of food is caused by improper storage or non-storage.
* Never refrigerate things like potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, garlic, and other similar items; instead, store them out in the open and dry.
* Somehow, individuals forget to check the production date and expiration date of the item they bought. After their expiration date, these foods are no longer edible. In such a circumstance, always check the production and expiry date of canned food before purchasing it.
* Clean the refrigerator regularly to avoid food waste. This will allow you to maintain your refrigerator clean and sanitary while also protecting yourself from diseases caused by consuming old and stale food.
* Fruits and vegetables lose their color and eventually become domestic waste. As a result, it is advisable to bring an increasing amount of fruits and vegetables that may be consumed within two or three days.
* Composting at home If you’re wasting food at home, don’t throw it away; instead, store it in a large plastic container and leave it out in the open. It will decompose into compost in a few months, which you may use in your garden. This will assist you in avoiding the spread of household garbage.
* Do not overfill the dish; instead, serve as much food as you can on the plate while eating. Never put more food on a platter than is necessary.
World Food Day 2021 will be held under the theme “Our actions are our future- Better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life.”
While countries around the world battle with the extensive consequences of the global Covid-19 pandemic, World Food Day 2021 will be commemorated for the second time. It’s time to look ahead to the future we must create together.
The author is Research Scholar (STATISTICS)
(SKUAST-JAMMU)
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