The state of our
environment is critical to human health and survival. Human beings depend on
the environment for food, clean air, and water. Our diet includes plants and
animals whose survival and safety depend on the state of the environment.
Environmental pollution destroys ecosystems that are important to human health
and part of our food chain. In additional, the environment is the source of
natural resources that nations require for economic growth. Nations create
wealth by trading their natural resources and products of such resources with
other nations.
The Theme for World
Environment Day for 2012 was ‘Think, Eat and Save’. Think, Eat and Save was an anti-food waste
and food loss campaign which was launched to encourage everybody to reduce
their food print. The impact of food waste is not just financial.
Environmentally, food waste leads to wasteful use of chemicals such as
fertilizers and pesticides; more fuel used for transportation; and more
rotting food, creating more methane –
one of the most harmful greenhouse gases that contributes to climate change.
Retailers’ strict cosmetic
standards result in rejection of food items not perfect in shape or appearance.
Consumers’ waste food through excess purchase and careless eating behaviors’.
If food is wasted; it means that all the resources and inputs used in the
production of all the food are also lost.
A recent study by the
Indian Institute of Public Administration on the wastage of food during social
gatherings in national capital region Delhi, shows that rising economic
prosperity makes people indulge in extravagance and ostentatious behavior
during social events and people do not mind throwing away food, but the menu
has to be extensive as any shortage would affect their so-called honor and
respect in society. Also, celebrations of plethora of festivals in Indian
societies waste food on such occasions as it is prepared on a large scale.
Given this enormous
imbalance in lifestyles and the resultant devastating effects on the
environment, it is expected out of us to become more aware of the environmental
impact of the food choices that we all make and empowers all of us to make
informed decisions. The objective rallies us to take action from our homes and
then witness the power of collective decisions which we and others have made to
reduce food waste, save money, minimize the environmental impact of food
production and force food production processes to become more efficient.
Although governments bear
the responsibility of protecting the environment, all citizens have a role to
play in keeping the environment clean and safe.
I would urge you to look
for wastages happening around in your vicinity, in canteens, at office get
together, at guest houses, in your own house or when you go out to eat in a
restaurant. Think of innovative ways to reduce food wastages and you would be
doing your bit to save the world
