Article 6: Food Waste and Climate Change
by Simrata Keshav
Founder of Go Green Vernon Hills/Lincolnshire
It is estimated that worldwide, one third of the food produced for human consumption is wasted. According to the World Resources Institute (WRI), if food waste and loss were a country it would be the THIRD largest contributor of greenhouse gas emissions, behind China and the United States.
When we throw away food, we are wasting all of the resources (energy, water, fertilizer) that went into producing that food and therefore, are emitting unnecessary emissions into the atmosphere. Moreover, food in a landfill emits a potent greenhouse gas called methane which traps more heat in our atmosphere than carbon dioxide.
Reducing food waste is ranked as one of the topmost solutions in reducing global warming.
The first step to reducing food waste is to avoid creating the waste. Meal plan before going to the grocery store and take stock of what is already in your refrigerator. Make sure to buy what is on your list and stay away from “buy one get one free” deals to avoid waste.
Secondly, scope out places that will accept unexpired non-perishables. Donating food is one way in which we can help fight food insecurity. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO), an estimated 690 million people (about 9% of the world’s population) go hungry. The World Food Program estimates that if we were able to recover all the wasted food, we could feed about 2 billion people!
And finally when food cannot be saved, transform it into something useful through composting. Composting is the process of using organic material (such as food scraps/waste) to create a material rich in nutrients that reduces the need of chemicals and fertilizers. It is nature’s way of recycling!
By reducing the amount of food that is wasted in our homes, in our schools, in our offices and in our places of worship, we can make a direct impact on climate change. The decisions we make on how we purchase and consume food is perhaps the single most contribution an individual can make towards climate change.
References
- Opinion | Food waste is a vastly overlooked driver of climate change – The Washington Post
- Food Waste | Solana Center for Environmental Innovation
- Composting Resources | Solana Center for Environmental Innovation
- Eight Innovations Ending Food Loss in the Global South – Food Tank
Action to Implement
Post your reflections & observations in the comments section below ⬇️
🌱 June 2022: This month, take a closer look and identify your food waste as:
🍌 food prep scraps
🍽️ plate waste (unfinished food)
🤦🏻♀️spoiled or unwanted food
Past Months Action to Implement
🌱 May 2022: Implement the following actions.
- Reduce food Packaging.
- Learn about local and seasonal foods.
- Support a local grower & shop at Farmer’s Markets.
🌱 April 2022: Sahasra Vrksha Sankalpa – As a CommUnity, bring your heart and hands to the ground to plant 1000 trees together. Track and share here.
🌱 March 2022: Contribute to the health of our planet and the health of beings by doing the following:
Each day take inventory of what goes in the trash.
Identify the most common item.
Find an alternative that eliminates this waste.
🌱 February 2022: Implement the following and encourage others to follow:
- Unplug chargers when not in use
- Use the ‘Energy Saver’ mode on phones & laptops
- Use cold water for laundry & line dry
🌱 January 2022: Identify 3 actions you do that help the environment and 3 actions that harm it
June PS Workshop
CommUnity Reflections
“When we throw away food, we are wasting all of the resources (energy, water, fertilizer) that went into producing that food and therefore are emitting unnecessary emissions into the atmosphere”.
Prashanti Gogineni
Food waste is not something we plan for. It happens quite often especially when buying excess produce or buying in places like Costco. I have consciously avoided shopping at Costco and find that I save more money and have less food waste. Buying more frozen vegetables, or buying fresh and freezing into smaller portions has really helped cut down food waste in our home. Sharing food with the neighbors is another great way to reduce waste.
My short term goal is to not let any fresh produce I buy this summer get wasted. Our household has been composting for decades, but find that a majority of households do not compost and how to make it easy for everyone to compost is always on my mind.
Global warming is a serious risk for our future and it is everyone’s responsibility to future generations to preserve the beauty and all the gifts of nature that we have experienced and reducing food waste is ranked as one of the topmost solutions in reducing global warming.
This article is short & sweet AND right to the point, giving data/numbers that are shocking and scary. There are different opportunities we have to make a difference with each example that’s given. Food waste has direct impact on climate change. It is responsibility for each and every single one of us to take action to change the course. The fact is showing that the rate we are going we and all beings will suffer. Big steps are needed and each one of us can make a difference. “When is NOW a good time to act?”
– Jagruti Ajvalia