KARACHI:
Considering the sheer amount of people around the world that die of starvation, food wastage remains a huge problem that needs to be seriously dealt with. Nearly one-third of all food produced in the world is discarded for various reasons. This equates to nearly 1.3 million tons of food that go to waste every year.
It is no surprise that First World countries like the US waste more food as compared to developing nations. This is because they have the monopoly of global resource distribution. Furthermore, they acquire and import cheap food by exploiting other countries. In 2010, the average American generated about 2,019 pounds of food waste, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The discarded food is sent to landfills where it rots and produces methane gas which is the second most common greenhouse gas. In the other words, throwing away food further contributes to climate change and global warming.
Another serious problem that goes hand in hand is that people are consuming more and more junk food on a daily basis. This commodification of food is also a serious problem. Not only does junk food adversely affect a person’s health but food vendors are notoriously known for throwing away lots of leftover food and waste. Doctors claim that increased cases of obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease are a direct result of eating lots of junk foods.
The situation is no different in Pakistan as many have been resorting to ordering food online during the lockdown. I, therefore, urge the relevant authorities to take a notice of the issue, and also request every individual to cook fresh food products at home and enjoy a healthy and hearty meal with your family.
Rahim Humraz
Jath Balnigwar
Published in The Express Tribune, June 3rd, 2021.
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