In honor of the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste, we’re going to delve into the importance of reducing food loss and waste and how it will change the world. 

We bet you’re asking yourself right now, “There’s an international day just for food loss and waste?” Well yes, yes there is. The United Nations named September 29 the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss Waste due to the tremendous importance of reducing food waste and the positive impact this will have on our earth and those living on it.

Currently, our food systems, which include processing, producing, and consumption are causing unsustainable patterns that are impacting our environment, specifically climate change, loss of biodiversity, and pollution. This is taking place every day and everywhere in the world and has created a pressing need to take action toward reducing food loss and waste in order to reach targets 1, 2, and 3 of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 12 (SDG) for 2030: 

1. Setting an active 10-year plan for sustainable consumption and production pattern to be implemented in all countries
2. Reaching sustainability in the management and efficiency of natural resource use
3. Halving the global food waste at the retail and consumer level by 2030

With only 7 years left to reach this goal, it is now more important than ever to take food loss and waste reduction seriously and start playing our part.  

So how exactly will earth and its people benefit from reducing food loss and waste? Let’s take a look:

Help feed less fortunate families

Enormous amounts of perfectly safe and edible food get thrown away. This food could instead be used to create better food security by being collected and donated to hungry families rather than being thrown out and ending up in landfills. Incredible organizations like HIFZ ALNAEMA and WA’HAB have taken the initiative to divert food waste from ending up in landfills and going to those in need instead.

Reduce greenhouse gas emissions

Landfills, where the lost and wasted food is disposed of, cause a significant amount of greenhouse gas emissions. Less food loss and wastage will allow these emissions to be substantially reduced and, therefore, will limit the effect that these emissions have on climate change and possibly even start to reverse its negative effects. Organizations like Verdura have started tree-planting initiatives in order to reverse the devastating effects of greenhouse gas emissions.

Preserve precious resources

Water, land, energy, capital, and labor are all required to produce food and when much of the food produced is lost or wasted, these resources are ultimately going to waste as well. Reducing food waste will better preserve these precious resources. 

Lower food costs

A reduction in food waste allows for better food security which, in turn, will reduce the cost of food globally and make grocery shopping a far less stressful experience, something we can all benefit from. Not to mention that reducing food waste in our homes will allow our grocery shopping money to go a whole lot further too.

Encourage people to go green

Making these positive changes just might ignite a passion for saving our planet in the lives of many around the world and encourage people to go green in other facets of their lives!

With all of these benefits, one can clearly see that reducing food waste and loss is truly a win-win-win for all parties involved so let’s make this a happy International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste and start making some positive changes. If you need some ideas, you can check out our other blog post, 9 Things You Can Do at Home to Reduce Food Waste, or Download our App!