StopTheWaste is a global movement to fight food waste. You may wonder how desperately we need such initiatives. The answer is simple - because we produce enough food to feed everyone, yet one in nine people goes to sleep hungry every night and one-third of food produced for human consumption is lost or goes to waste.
This is why this campaign to stop wastage of food by the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) is a call out of necessity, concern and fear of this human attitude that can and will eliminate the natural resources we need for survival on Planet Earth. This is why I believe such a move needs support and action.
When we were young at school, we were taught about the food chain, which represents a series in which food and energy are transferred from one organism in an ecosystem to another. The food chain clearly shows us how energy is passed from the sun to plants and animals and eventually to us humans.
I am not a scientist, but I believe that working to preserve the earth's natural resources must begin by changing human behavior and some misconceptions that are harmful to the environment. The reality is that the eye does not eat and the soul is greedy and not satiated. We do not have to listen to such gossip because it is wrong and reflects extravagance, as not everyone is rich and can provide large quantities of food for guests.
If we are invited to a party or a meeting of friends, we do not take food that was cooked yesterday even if it is edible, because we believe that if we want to visit anyone, we must take or buy something fresh.
There is enough food to feed the world's seven billion people. But, I believe that human behavior is a matter of concern. We are moving towards drying up our natural resources by our own misguided actions and thoughts. After all, it's not just about the food and energy, but money, labor, land, seeds and plenty of water that go into producing food.
The UN listed some tips on how to reduce food waste, and here are some examples:
When you go to a restaurant, ask for smaller portions - you can always ask for more!
Love your leftovers as you can use them for tomorrow's meal! I think this is part of being grateful and blessed for the food you have, as there are many people who cannot even afford a piece of bread, especially those who live in civil conflict and war zones.
I love such campaigns because their primary goal is to raise awareness among the public to be more conscious of food waste and have a better awareness of global hunger. The StopTheWaste campaign will run until the end of October, but I hope the end of the initiative wouldn't mean we go back to our bad old habits. This is why I hope such campaigns never stop.
By Muna Al-Fuzai
muna@kuwaittimes.net