Food waste is a great issue that the entire world confronts with. Everyday, people throw tons of food, without taking into consideration that somebody will be going hungry to bed tonight. This is the reason why it is such a huge problem. According to The Guardian, everyday, 805 million people do not have enough or any food to eat. We are talking here about men, women, children and old people that are starving because they lost their jobs and still have to pay their bills, because they were born in a country with economic problems, or because they are passing through a hard period.
The quantity of food that is thrown away puts an exclamation mark for this topic. One third of all the food that is produced in the world ends up in the garbage bins. The question is how can anyone do this when at some corner of a street, there is a homeless person who struggles to survive with an empty stomach and to catch the sunrise? The answer is related to the fact that people are not sufficiently aware of the situation until they see it with their own eyes, or feel it on their own body. But this is not the solution! People do not need to starve in order to understand that others are living with this feeling. They have to respect some rules.
How to stop food waste
First of all, think about the amount of food you really need. You should not buy 5kg of potatoes if you only need 3 because the ‘just in case’ phrase that you use when you go shopping will end up in the garbage bin together with the money you paid.
Secondly, if you have some food in the fridge, but you do not want it anymore, make a small package and take it to a homeless person or a place where there are people who will appreciate your gesture. If you do not have such a place near you, give it to a stray animal because it struggles to survive as well. This method should be applied to restaurants too. The food that remains should be put in packages and given to the people in need for free. Fortunately, some restaurants have already adopted this solution.
Furthermore, take part in campaigns that want to end food waste. Donate food, give what you do not want to the people who actually need it. Every little gram will make a difference.
Food waste is a problem that will not be solved in just one day. It will take very long: not one month, not one year, not 3 years. The period cannot be estimated because we are talking about changing a bad habit in the behavior of 5 billion of people. Nevertheless, every small gesture matters and might save a life. Moreover, think twice before you want to throw something away. It might be something you do not want anymore, but it might be something someone needs desperately to survive.