Food is a basic need that we cannot go without.
But, one of the biggest challenges we face is that of food security, especially knowing that the world’s population will be over 9 billion by 2050.
It’s only being worsened by the huge amounts that we’re throwing away, though.
At the moment, one third of the food produced every year is wasted - that’s around 1.3 billion tonnes.
So, the big question is, how do we reduce food waste?
First off, we can change the way we look at ‘ugly’ produce. Just because a piece of fruit or veg looks a little funny, or has almost reached its expiry date, doesn’t mean that it’s bad or unhealthy.
It’s also important that we know the difference between ‘use by’ and ‘best before’ dates on our food - without properly understanding how they differ, we could be throwing away items that are perfectly good to eat.
Another simple thing we can do is to plan out our meals every week, then only buy what we need for them. Restaurants can do the same - only buying what they need to satisfy their demand.
Speaking of, when we go to restaurants, we can always ask for smaller portions or bring the leftovers home to make sure that they aren’t just thrown in the trash.
Storing food correctly is super important to avoid anything going bad, and it’s also useful to try and avoid cooking too much at mealtimes - if you do have any leftovers, save them to have another day.
Finally, try and buy fresh food when you can. Not only is it healthier, but because fresh groceries are perishable, they’re more likely to be thrown out if they’re not bought.
If we all try our best to do these little things that prevent food waste, we’ll be helping to make our world a better place.