What did you learn about dietary choices from using the footprint calculator? Now imagine that you could translate what you learned into an effective societal policy on food- what would it be? And how would this policy effect the need to alleviate world hunger?
925 million people on earth do not have enough to eat according to the FAO [Food and Agricultural Organization]. That's almost 1 in 7 inhabitants of our planet!
Food & Hunger >
Food Waste and Climate Change
According to the Washington Post, about a third of all food in the United States is wasted, and that means that the carbon footprint of food waste is greater than that of the airline industry. While reading through several discussion posts and articles, I came across the topic of food waste, especially in America. It is noticed that in other countries, people have a different way of approaching food waste, whether that be to compost it, feed it to animals, or find a new way to use it that won't add to their carbon footprint. I, myself have also contributed to food waste. Buying more than I actually eat, and throwing the rest away.
It was reported that a whooping 26 Million Americans told the Census Bureau that they didn't have enough food to eat at home, and this problem was even worse for households with kids. This means, that so much of our food that could be consumed by family's that actually need it, don't make it to them. And this is because of food waste. Sarah Kaplan states in this Washington Post article that, "The world produces more than enough to feed everybody; we just need to do a better job ensuring the food reaches those who are hungry."
Not only does food waste affect our climate (in a negative way), but it also affects those who are less fortunate, and those who need the food more than we do. I think that this issue is quite easy to resolve though! Some actions we can take to help stop food waste is making a list before you go grocery shopping, and really only buying what you need at the moment. Before putting it in your basket, ask yourself if you see yourself eating it/cooking it. If not, put it back! Another thing we can do is shopping locally! I've seen that most of the food from the farmer's market takes longer to perish. Lastly, organizing your refrigerator. Its easy to get lost in the fridge because sometimes you buy more than you intend to and then the fridge is full and you don't know what food is even good to eat anymore. So instead of dealing with that, organize! If there's stuff that gonna perish, compost it. If not, use it for your next meal. If there's stuff from your pantry that you're not going to eat, donate it to a local food shelter! There are always people that are going to need it more than you!
Finally, although it should be a given, be thankful for all the food that you have, and don't waste it!