Food that will never be eaten

Problems of the food industry

At the present time, the food issue is very acute. Firstly, because the population of the planet is growing at a rapid pace and, accordingly, the need for food is increasing. Secondly, our food is costly to us, because it consumes a huge amount of resources (especially animal products, as we discussed in the article “ Why and how animal husbandry harms the environment? ”), And many of them are slowly recoverable. Thirdly, in recent decades, the use of chemical additives in food cultivation has become widespread, which not only harms the soil, air and water, but also causes chronic and mutational processes in human organisms. And the reasons for this are the huge appetites of mankind. We produce more than we need, and we distribute it incorrectly: the rich have too much, the poor have nothing.

Another influencing factor is that the food industry is a huge amount of money. You have probably heard more than once that the owners and manufacturers of products are some of the richest people. They built their corporations on the basic needs of man, which are constantly growing and needing more and more exotic pleasures. If you ask your grandmothers, they will certainly tell you that in their youth there was no such variety of products - and not because there was not enough money, but because there was less demand. That is, the main problem is actually that humanity is constantly striving for the hypertrophy of all needs: comfort, material security, feelings, adventures and, of course, food.

But what does this lead to? To the fact that the Earth is being destroyed before our eyes, resources are being devastated, a huge gap is growing between rich and poor segments of the population and between countries, moral values are collapsing and the gap between man and nature is widening. What is the way out of this? It starts with conscious understanding and respect. Food is a valuable gift that we got at a high price. For all the needs of mankind, huge resources of the Earth are spent, which are not endless. Appreciate them. When you buy more food than you need to live, think that someone is not getting food. Remember this. When you throw away food, it can be put to better use. Experiment.

Wasted food stats

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) 2015, the statistics on food not to be eaten are as follows:

The global volume of spoiled food is 1.5 billion tons in the original product equivalent, and the edible part of this is up to 1.3 billion tons.
The carbon footprint of produced and discarded food reaches 3.3 billion tons of CO ² per year.
The total amount of water spent on the production of unused food (250 km ³ ) is equivalent to the annual flow of the Russian Volga River, or three times the volume of Lake Geneva.
Likewise, 1.4 billion hectares of land (28% of the world's agricultural land) is used annually to produce wasted food.
Agriculture is responsible for most of the risks to plants and animals monitored by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Only a small percentage of food waste is composted - most ends up in landfills. Methane emissions from landfills represent one of the largest sources of emissions in the waste sector.
Home composting has the potential to free local waste collectors from ~150 kg of food waste per household per year.
Developing countries suffer from food waste (44%) at the production stage, while middle and affluent regions have the highest food waste (56%) at the retail consumer level.
The direct economic cost of wasted food (other than fish and seafood) reaches $750 billion annually.

As of 2011, as a percentage by weight of the total 1.3 billion food losses:

44% - vegetables and fruits;
20% - fish and seafood;
19% - cereals;
8% - dairy products;
4% - meat products;
3% - oilseeds and legumes;
2% - roots and tubers.

The ratio of food lost in terms of calories in different regions of the world for 2009 is as follows:

28% - industrial Asia;
23% - South and Southeast Asia;
14% - North America and Oceania;
14% - Europe;
9% - Black (Tropical) Africa;
7% - North Africa, West and Central Asia;
6% - Latin America.

The world map below shows the number of undernourished people as a percentage of the country's total population. The brown region is the highest percentage, the green region is the lowest percentage.

Types of Lost Food

It is customary to distinguish between food losses and food waste. The first type includes, as mentioned above, spoiled food at the stage of production and transportation, which is more typical for poor and developing countries. First, modern cultivation methods are not available to everyone to meet modern food needs. Secondly, high-quality storage and transportation of products also involves expensive equipment. For example, in Africa, without proper storage and delivery capabilities, between 10 and 20% of grain is lost due to mold, insect and rodent problems. The amount of losses reaches 4 billion US dollars, which is enough to feed 48 million people for a whole year. Another problem is the long distance for transportation within the framework of the globalization of trade, during which many fruits and vegetables, dairy products, etc. are damaged. According to various estimates, India loses from 35 to 40% of its fruits and vegetables during transportation.

The pie chart shows the ratio of food losses in developed (developed) and developing (developing) countries. The chart below shows the amount of calories lost per person per day in different regions of the world. In the countries of North America and Oceania, 67% of food waste is lost at the stage of consumption, in the countries of South and Southeast Asia - 87% of losses at the stage of production, storage and transportation.

Food waste includes food at the final stage of its cycle: sale and consumption. In developed countries that use technological innovations and improved methods of cultivation, storage, delivery of products, there are fewer problems at the first stage of the food chain. But losses at the level of supermarkets are up to 600 billion kg per year. And often, in order to send it to the trash, it does not have to deteriorate - an unpresentable appearance for buyers is enough (instead of being sold at a lower price). British supermarket chain Tesco, which is trying to reduce food waste, has admitted to throwing away 50 million kg of food in one financial year. Large creators of food waste are also catering establishments, catering companies.

But not only manufacturers and retailers are responsible. Consumers, coming to the supermarket, are attracted by discounted prices, promotions, beautiful packaging, picking up a lot of unnecessary things that will eventually fly into the trash can. Also, the “best before” date is often confused with the product’s safety date (which is now being fought in France, urging manufacturers not to mislead buyers). This also includes perishable food in the refrigerator, country stocks, seaming on the shelves, which can be safely forgotten for several years. Food wasted is often caused by improper storage, malnutrition of leftovers, and non-composting of waste.

Necessary steps to solve the problem

What can we, simple retail buyers, do on a global scale? The action of each is built into a huge chain of all mankind, and much can depend on one. There are millions of people who do not take responsibility for every decision they make. Change your consumption, change your attitude, and the world will change. Everything depends on each of us!

Here is a list of measures useful to address the global food problem:

Buy smart. Plan in advance the necessary purchases for the intended dishes. This way you will also cut your budget. Do not buy new products until you have used up the old ones, and also consider the expiration date of the product. Buy bulk food only if you have a large family, intend to share or invite guests, or are sure that you will definitely eat everything on time.
Don't overbuy. By reducing demand, you reduce supply, and, accordingly, the amount of resources spent, food wasted, and the financial cost of producing excess food.
Do not be afraid to buy goods of an "unsightly appearance" - after all, this does not at all mean their depravity, and sometimes, on the contrary, indicates a natural origin. Such a product can be cooked, or cut off the spoiled part, or eaten in its original form. Appreciate food!
Organize the right storage conditions for products to preserve their taste and nutritional properties as long as possible. Also follow the principle of layout on the windows in the store: forward all the old products, back - all the new ones.
If you have long shelf life foods that you rarely use (say, in the freezer), write a list of them and stick them on the refrigerator so you don't forget about their existence.
Be sure to finish the leftover cooked food first, and then start cooking a new one.
Make the most of the product: Let's say potatoes can be left unpeeled like cucumbers and zucchini, while broccoli and cauliflower have a lot of nutrients in the stems and can be cooked with the florets. Experiment!
If some products have lost their appearance or are close to spoilage, change their purpose and use them in other dishes. For example, withered berries can be used to make fruit drinks, wilted fruits can be used for seaming, and mashed vegetables can be used for vegetable cutlets.
If, nevertheless, there is food or products that you are not going to consume, use them with benefit: donate to the food bank (a certified member of the Global Food Fund Rus Food Fund operates in Russia) or share with those who are known to you in need, donate to a fattening farm livestock or throw it in the compost pit.
Product expiry dates don't really always mean one. Often refers to the peak taste of the product. So check for a few more days after the expiration of the taste and smell and, if everything is in order, you can eat it.
Reduce the amount of food portions. It has been proven that the less food you put on your plate, the less you will want to eat. The eyes want more than the stomach. Chew food slowly, with concentration, until the food dissolves in your mouth, and only then swallow. It is also good for digestion.
If you haven't finished something at a restaurant, don't leave it, and feel free to ask to wrap up the leftovers with you or share with a friend. But it is better to order the amount of food in which you are sure that it will be eaten.
If you've invited guests to your home, don't overcook. It is better to entertain guests with an interesting activity or a fascinating conversation than to throw away a mountain of half-eaten food in the trash.
Treat consciously and respectfully the manifested and bounty of nature and its priceless fruits, the invested human labor, people who did not have enough food or resources to obtain it.
Share this problem and how to solve it with others.

May all living beings be happy! 🙂

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