Shouldn’t we produce more and waste less?
Bangladesh is bestowed with a vast area of fertile agricultural land to feed its population year-round. The dwindling farmlands due to the increasing population are, however, struggling to produce enough. We are certainly producing way more than before, but we can leverage food production if we waste less. It has always been emphasised to use every inch of available land for food cultivation, but dialogue and strides on reducing food waste are rare. Whereas we need both to ensure every plate is served.
Food security concerns are now greater than ever because of the growing uncertainty over managing import costs amid the dollar crunch. Bangladesh, like many other countries, relies on imports to supplement its domestic food production and meet the demands of its population. Furthermore, the recent and upcoming national-international political disputes may aggravate the situation, which may lead to a famine causing a humanitarian disaster among 169.8 million inhabitants plus one million Rohingya refugees.
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) says that the amount of food waste in Bangladesh is 65kg per capita per year. That means millions of tons of food are being wasted rather than used for consumption. According to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), the country has also witnessed an upward trend in food consumption patterns recently. Experts opined that this happened due to a rise in production, availability, price level, and people’s income. Over the past decade, production of fish, meat, fruits and vegetables has been increasing by more than 5%. However, more production means more waste, and it’s happening around and in front of us. When substantial amounts of food are produced but not eaten by humans, it has substantial negative impacts: environmentally, socially, and economically, as UNEP suggests.
Food waste occurs at both macro and micro levels, referring to different stages of the food supply chain and individual consumer behavior. Experts attribute it to a lack of awareness among people, regardless of their socioeconomic status. A glimpse may we find when we enjoy videos circulating in social media that show avid people—content creators or wealthy persons—serving more food than they need. What happens to the food that is served but can’t be consumed? Certainly that is dumped, and nearly one billion people are living in hunger when we are savouring, wasting, and showing off that garnished tempting food.
The chain of food waste starts from agricultural production to processing, retail, food service, and household use. Consumer choices and behaviors also play a role in food waste, which includes impulse buying, purchasing more than needed, improper meal planning, apathy towards food items, and more. According to World Bank data, 30 per cent of Bangladesh's total population is currently experiencing food scarcity, remaining in the red zone of food inflation for an extended period without any signs of improvement. UNEP estimates indicate that around 8-10 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions are associated with food that is not consumed.
The United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) is one of the leading institutions that is playing a pioneering role in reducing food waste. The organization’s estimates of food loss and waste depict that around 14 per cent of the world’s food, valued at $400 billion, is lost on an annual basis between harvest and the retail market, while 17 per cent is wasted at the retail and consumer levels.
As our country has backed unprecedented growth in food production, it can also measure out ways to save it from wasting. No one should have the right to waste a single grain when millions are starving without it
Many countries and organizations around the world are addressing the food waste issue with paramount importance. The insight behind this is to reduce food waste while serving more people with enough food and saving the environment. Among other countries and regions, the governments of Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia in Asia and the Pacific have collaborated with FAO to save food. Stores in Switzerland and many other countries are reducing the prices of nearly expired foods to avoid wasting them. Japan is using discarded food to make other dishes or entirely new products, such as fuel, cement, or even furniture. France has taken it to another level by enacting that grocery stores must donate edible food instead of throwing it out. Whereas Norway has decided to cut its food waste in half by 2030.
Every aforementioned example points out that state patronage is important for creating awareness and making it a part of the culture. Besides, at the mass level, we need mostly respect for food because abundance doesn’t mean perpetuity. If we want to fight the potentially upcoming food shortage, we need to act now to save food by reducing its waste. As our country has backed unprecedented growth in food production, it can also measure out ways to save it from wasting. No one should have the right to waste a single grain when millions are starving without it.
* Asif Mahmud is a learner in the communication sector and can be contacted at [email protected]