Do you know how much food goes to waste on our planet? It’s one-third of what we produce. Isn’t it a crazy fact that so many people are dying from hunger and this huge amount of food goes to oblivion?! Thanks to Stop Food Waste Day on April 28 which not only reminds us of the shocking data but also presents to us some amazing ideas to reduce food wastage.
It creates awareness by raising the issue of food waste and making us learn some easy ways to save food that goes bad or is lost.
Preview
Date of Stop Food Waste Day Observance
28th of April.
History of Stop Food Waste Day
The Earliest Era of Respect
Centuries ago, when the English or Europeans had not migrated to America, the term “food wastage” was not even conceptualized. When people started to introduce industrialization to the east coast by setting up their shops along with it, the scenario begins to change gradually.
Before this all, during the pre-1700s, the native American tribes used to use the edible to the fullest without letting any usable go to waste. They knew the value of what they got after the rigorous process of hunting.
After gathering the meal out of the slaughtered animal, they used to use the rest of its parts for other purposes. Such as:
- Bones for digging holes and making tools for sewing
- Hides for shelter and clothing
- Brains for tanning the hides.
Pioneers During 1800s
The early pioneers followed the footprints of the earlier ones.
The Mid to Late 1800s: No to Food Wastage
The settlers of the late 1800s, who shifted to westward's new continent, also appreciated the same practices to avoid the wastage of food because of challenging conditions and scarcity of resources.
Whereat one hand, they used the lard of soap and made the most of the body parts of the hunted animals using even the head and feet, they also donated food.
The Late 1800s to 1914: Just before the First World War
The industrialization and development before the First World War introduced many changes to food practices. This is the era when today’s concept of food waste was brought into existence.
Earlier when people used to hunt animals for curbing the hunger of their stomachs, they knew the value of food because of the hard work and tough situations associated with the process.
When industrialization before World War 1 expanded its feet around, the challenging food-obtaining process turned to the easier one. The food that used to be expensive to get earlier was processed at such a speed that it lost its importance and precious value.
Food and goods remained no more a challenge which made people accept the concept of food wastage easily.
When food became available at affordable prices on a daily basis, people started to take it lightly and for granted.
The respect for food never got lost completely from its roots though. And whenever it was possible, people choose to recycle the food instead of wasting it.
Post World War 2 in 1945
The Second World War ended, so ended the scarcity, depression, and — rationing.
The use of new materials flourished. Along with industries, waste disposal practices also boomed.
The concept of buying the new one, forgetting the old, began to take off. Even the idea of recycling or repurposing also contracted to the perfectly good resources only.
As food production became less expensive, food waste easily got incorporated into the habit.
Food Waste Today
Anyone of us is a pro in it. Especially when we visit any restaurant or attend any ceremony, we all as it ensures that we must not consume what we have taken in our plates. It is a shameful act though and while performing it, we all should remember the pain of the poor and needy who sleep with a hungry stomach every night.
Stop Food Waste Day Celebration Ideas
Know: How to Stop Food Waste
If you are also someone who is wondering how I can stop the food paste, start from your home.
You can do it by being watchful at three stages:
- While shopping: Buy the needful, not anything and everything just because u can.
- While cooking: Prepare considering the number of servings unit
- While dealing with the extras: Remake, reuse, donate, or store, but do not waste it by throwing it into the dustbin.
Manage Your Time
A hectic schedule often results in buying extra products to save money by postponing the next shopping.
Organize your time in a way that you can focus on the important aspects of life such as — food.
Plan Your Shopping
Lack of planning before going to shop the food or food products might end up wasting the food. Along with planning what you want to shop for, also think about where you are going to store it after buying. If you are buying something lying on your refrigerator, make sure it has that enough space as well. If you’re purchasing something in bulk, think twice that whether your family members will be able to consume it or not.
Make a To-do List
Every time you plan to shop grocery or other food items, check out your containers for knowing the current quantity and plan accordingly. Don’t forget to make a to-do list with the number of products and their quantity mentioned in it.
Overcome the Laziness
Many of us love to appreciate a good physique but do not like to do exercise. We love the cleanliness and organized stuff around us but do not want to invest time in getting the results.
If you also belong to this category, tune your willpower, set up your mind, and roll up your sleeves to make it done now.
Don’t Be Ignorant
This is the worst case when you have got good containers and the skills too. You know how to organize things and manage them smartly but you often remain ignorant about the spoiling stuff.
Just remember one thing that you do it now or tomorrow, you will need to spend the same amount of time and energy. So why not gather some energy now and do it now for saving the spoilers.
Use Refrigerator Smartly and wisely
Make sure that the product that you are buying relying on the refrigerator, it is supposed to store in that or not. Many food items such as garlic, onions, potatoes, and spices are not meant to store in the refrigerator. If you’re thinking of buying them in bulk, keep in mind that as you are not going to place them in the fridge, you have to shop them accordingly.
Many of us often tend to store our fridge just for the sake of filling it up. The reasons might be business, lack of planning, laziness, ignorance, or any other excuses.
Before filling your refrigerator to the fullest, do not forget the fact that vegetables lose their nutritional value to some extent as they get old with time.
Surely, make the most of the technology, but if it is possible, use as fresh vegetables and fruits as you can.
Keep a Check on the Expiry Dates
One of the prime reasons why fresh food turns into food waste is not using them before the expiry dates. Be vigilant and make sure that you use a food product before its expiry date.
You can fix a date to revisit all your food items and products whether they are in the containers, refrigerator, or freezer. It is the best way to save the food produced from getting expired.
Donate the Extra
If you have got extra food, instead of throwing it into the trash, donated it to a needy person. If you are not able to find one, you can also donate it to a street dog, cow, or any other nearby wandering creature.
Especially when you organize a grand party, get together, or arranging any other functions such as marriage or inauguration ceremonies, take the help of some external teams who are pro in managing such foods.
Let them pick up the extra products after your ceremony or event is over and make them reach the needy family, organization, orphanages, or institution.
You can also tie up with hostels or people who cook for their paying guests.
Why is Stop Food Waste Day Celebrated?
Food Management is a Worth Learning Skill
Food or food waste is not a one-day issue to deal with. We have to manage it every day.
Considering the demand of food of those who are unable to get (or earn) it, if you think about them being empathetic, food management does seem an important skill to learn.
If you know it, let others also get benefited.
Extra Might Give You Something Extra
Sometimes, the stuff you find a waste, that emerges as something filled with nutritional content.
Do you know that the inner part of the banana covering is highly rich in potassium?!
Do you know that there are many vegetables and fruits whose covering can be used as organic fertilizer?
There are many more nutritional stories that we do not know. Enhance your knowledge about them.
And next time when you are just about to throw something into the dustbin, ask yourself twice, whether it is indeed a waste or not.
It’s Cost-Effective
The way the purchased food incorporates a price, the saved food also incorporates cost-effectiveness. You might not find a huge impact while seeing it on daily basis, but its results are worth noticing if seen considering a long period of time.
It Promotes a Mighty Cause
You go to any religious scripture; you will get enormous words for respect to food. You will indeed find more for food donations.
There can’t be a better way to gather some blessings by making food available to a needy person.
After pondering upon it and its associated aspects, you will realize that one cannot separate the management of food waste from serving.
If you are giving the extra, it’s a direct service. Even if you are not, then too you are serving the nation. Here is how!
You cannot find food without the efforts of a great team behind. Any food or food product that reaches you after going through a long chain that incorporates the farmers, distributors, transporters, suppliers, government, and many other private and local entities.
It’s a complete process after which the products are made available to you. If you use them wisely intelligently, you can save a lot of costs to the nation.
Significance of Stop Food Waste Day
It is not so that people are not aware of the issues and situations of the poor and needy, yet ignorance and insensitive behavior are witnessed every now and then.
Causes, events, and observations such as Stop Food Waste Day not only aware or remind, but also shake us sometimes. They motivate us to tune our behavior, sensibility, habits, and practices.
Food is an aspect of life that we can't ignore. Wasting food is unwise. The issue of food waste needs to be pondered upon from a global perspective as well.
Our daily fuel "food" deserves respect, so the one who is deprived of it.
Interesting Facts and Figures about Stop Food Waste Day
Food Waste in 2020
Can you imagine the quantity of food that goes into the trash in the United States? It’s over 80 billion pounds. It means — about 40% of food that is produced is thrown away to waste in the US each year.
You say it crazy, foolish, or insensible; it’s a brutal truth that points towards a rampant problem.
It’s shocking that there are millions of people who are suffering from starvation and hunger on daily basis, and on the other hand, the amount of food that is wasted by a single person is about 219 pounds per year.
The Impact of Saving the Food Waste
It is another eye-opening fact. As per a report from the United States, if we start cutting the amount of the wasted food, just a quarter of its supply will also be enough for everyone.
What If We Stop Wasting the Food
As per the estimations by the exports, if we manage to halt the food waste, about 3 billion people can be fed from the saved food. Astoundingly, it’s much more than 925 million — the number of people who live hungry mostly.
What about the Wasted Water?
About a quarter of our water supply is stressed with eaten food waste. It costs about $172 billion which is whooping data.
Which Type of Food Items Go to Trash the Most?
Do you know which food items are wasted the most? They are fruits and vegetables. Well, tubers and roots are also nowhere behind.
Only Good-looking Glorify the Shelves
Many grocery store owners waste a considerable portion of food because of its appearance. Only that which looks appealing on the shelves is saved from becoming a part of the waste.
Global Warming Because of the Rotten Food
This might make your ears stand up that the routine food in landfills is responsible for producing methane — the greenhouse gas. No need to mention that this dangerous chemical affects more than carbon dioxide gas.
