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#4 Food Waste
READ TO BE SURE
Photo by Marek Studzinski on Unsplash
Can you reduce the food waste on your plate?
Millions of tonnes of food go to waste every day, as a result of surplus ordering, when the food is not aesthetically pleasing enough to be sold to consumers, or as a result of food supply chains. Reducing food waste should not only be centred on individual action, but also dealt with as a systemic problem by rethinking logistic and business processes. How can individuals and businesses minimise food wastage? How can we make our food choices more sustainable? Read more to find out.
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Perspective 1: Minimising food from going to waste can help us save money and help the climate.
Every single piece of food that is on our plate generates greenhouse gases. With an estimated 1.8 billion tonnes of food lost or wasted annually (or about one-third of global food production), that accounts for 8% of total greenhouse emissions. Planning ahead for meals can potentially save time, money and the planet.
In Singapore, a 2015 survey showed that the top three reasons for throwing away food was because it had expired, gone mouldy or looked, smelled or taste bad.
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200224-how-cutting-your-food-waste-can-help-the-climate
https://www.todayonline.com/features/trash-talk-battle-food-waste-bulge-why-you-should-throw-away-less-food -
Perspective 2: Food supply chains have a bigger part to play in managing food waste.
Businesses such as supermarkets and food suppliers play a role in managing food waste.
Approximately one-fifth of imported and locally farmed fresh product is lost in the supply chain due to logistical and business processes such as packaging, transportation, poor inventory management and cosmetic filtering of blemished products.
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/unsold-but-not-unwanted
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/calls-to-change-eating-habits-and-overhaul-in-food-supply-chain-to-cut-singapores-food -
Which perspective do you agree with?