The adage, “The health of a man is determined by the food he consumes' is very obviously true. But in a sense, it would be applicable to say that food not only determines health but also the character of a man, in terms of the waste generated. As our lifestyles and economy are switching from agriculture to service, we have been putting pressure on arable land. As a consequence, canned foods have replaced fresh food and 'farmacy' by 'pharmacy', where we intake protein drinks and ginger candies as dietary supplements and synthetic citric compounds for lemonade. Given this trend, it has become more necessary than ever to save food by cutting down on food waste.

 

Food waste refers to the leftover, spilled or discarded food items that are ultimately dumped as waste. According to the 2011 Global Food Losses and Food Waste report from the Food and Agriculture Organisation, roughly 1.3 billion tonnes of food are wasted every year. This is equivalent to more than half the world's annual cereal crop. This wastage not only increases piles of waste and take up space for composting and landfilling but also poses financial and environmental impacts. A significant portion of money, energy and time go in vain. Furthermore, it leads to a waste of environmental resources and chemicals as fertilisers and pesticides. Most importantly, wasted food goes to composting and landfilling, which emits a significant amount of methane, a harmful greenhouse gas that accelerates climate change. Methane is 23 times more potent than carbon dioxide. 

Food waste is the root cause of food scarcity. FAO figure show that 870 million people are malnourished and the food crisis is growing in the Middle East and Africa. The number of people suffering from the chronic undernourishment is still unacceptably high and the eradication of hunger remains a major global challenge. So saving food could be the best alternative to address this issue.

Towards this end, it is necessary to adopting sustainable practices of utilising environmental resources and energy, which conserves the environment and helps in meeting the Millennium Development Goal of reducing poverty and hunger. Here, youth have an important role to play as they are an economically active group with a high 'foodprint'. For this group, food waste is just as high as food consumption. 

 

As a young person, I have opted for some simple yet effective steps that have not only reduced the volume of waste in my kitchen but also saved me money and time. Since I belong to Hindu culture, where food is considered a blessing, food waste is usually minimal in quantity but still, there are leftovers, which I usually store in the fridge or airtight containers so food lasts longer. Since I'm a vegetarian, I fill my fridge with fruits. So there's less chance for those fruits to remain as leftover and rot, especially in a tropical country like Nepal where temperature controls lifestyle. This vegetarian diet not only reduces foodprint but also minimises the carbon footprint. 

For omnivores, there is also a tradition of drying meat and storing it in airtight vessels. During festival times, I prefer to dry leftover 

meats rather than wasting it. Similarly, excess fruits and vegetable can be utilised for making pickles or jams so that they are not wasted. I have also started to list food according to my need and taste, synchronising it with my schedules so that whenever I'm out, no food is spoiled. Whenever we organise any event, we should list the number of people and the items to be prepared, along with a self-service system so that people can enjoy the dishes they like. 

I have also developed the habit of checking the expiry date to calculate the usability of food. My small kitchen garden has also reduced my food expense and food print. Most importantly, I have avoided going shopping when I'm hungry. 

Reducing foodprint simply means consuming food in a sustainable way. It is inevitable that we will leave the imprints of our activities for future generations but we can do this in a sustainable and green way. So, think sustainable, eat rational and save for the future.

 

Basnet is a student at the School of Environmental Management and Sustainable Development (SchEMS)