Food insecurity is a huge problem in the modern world. While we produce enough food, a lot of it is in first-world countries, where its waste is becoming a huge cause for concern.
According to research, almost a third of the world’s food gets wasted. That’s almost a $100 billion in USD!!
That means all that food never gets eaten. Food that could have sustained a huge part of the population goes straight to landfills, which is another problem in itself, because a lot of human-produced methane comes from food waste in landfills.
Unsurprisingly, the biggest source of food waste during the supply chain is when the food is being processed. Processing waste accounts for over 34% of the food waste in Canada.
Households in Canada also contribute almost a sixth of the wastage in the country (in terms of weight).
But it’s not just the food that’s being wasted. The resources (agricultural land, fresh water, transportation) used in producing and later distributing food are also to be considered when we talk about food wastage.
To understand how food wastage impacts us, we need to understand how it is produced and how it gets to us. We also need to be mindful about the impact on the planet when we decide the perfectly fine food we have is not good enough.
Infographic by: https://energyminute.ca/
