29th September, International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste

On 29^th September, 2020, the UN will be observing for the very first time the “International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste” in accordance to the bill passed by the 74^th United Nations General Assembly in 2019.

In this advanced era of technology and abundance of resources, where some people are earning millions of dollars through different platforms there are people on the other side of the world, dying of hunger and malnutrition. Everyday tons and tons of foods go wasted and along with it goes wasted all the resources to produce that food, therefore an awareness of this food waste and loss is significant to the masses, involved in production and consumption.

The COVID 19 pandemic has made this food waste and loss even worse, with disrupting the supply and demand of food. A viral video of an Indian farmer dumping his chickens alive into a ditch shook the world as it not only portrayed the heartless killings of the birds but also the wastage of food and life. While lockdowns and ban on travelling is making it difficult for NGOS and organizations to reach out to the people being affected by famine, according to the UN, the panic buying and stocking up of food items by people in developed countries is resulting in shortages of donations by these countries. Therefore, the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste in this very year will be a source of providing people with enough awareness about responsible production and consumption of food.

Take away message:

Although this issue needs to be dealt on root levels, from producers to food industries and so on. As individuals we must take actions and make transformations in our lifestyles to prevent the food waste. Food waste and loss is killing people and the environment as with one wasted orange there is a loss of 50 liters of water, soil, seeds and labor. We must take steps towards the process of transformation to help the people in need and our planet earth and aware the people around us.

 

by: Mehram Zain 

Share it.