Education Journalist | Study Abroad Lead
Effects of Wastage of Food are tremendous as multiple people all over the globe are dying of hunger. The effects drastically impact society as well as our environment. Before the food is ready for consumption, it has to be processed. This means that resources and energy are invested in harvesting, storing, transporting, and then cooking the food. With the wastage of food, these resources and energy also go to waste. The wasted food that ends in the landfills often generates large amounts of methane which is a potent greenhouse gas that directly contributes to global warming.
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Key Terms: Food Waste, Effects of Food Waste, Biodiversity Loss, Carbon footprint, global warming
Effects of Food Waste
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Many food products use large amounts of water, therefore wasted food also results in a large volume of wasted water. Throwing away 1 kg of meat is equivalent to wasting 5000 to 20000 liters of water whereas throwing a glass of milk is equivalent to wasting 100 liters of water. Some of the effects of food waste are as follows -
1. Biodiversity loss
Food waste impacts biodiversity on a worldwide scale. Farmers have increasingly used wild areas to search for more fertile lands to maximize agricultural yields. This has resulted in a loss of biodiversity.
- The reason behind this is the practices adopted by farmers that have destroyed natural habitats.
- The practices include deforestation, slash and burn agriculture, and the conversion of wild areas into farmlands.
- It has also destroyed the natural habitats of mammals, fish, birds, and amphibians.
- Biodiversity loss is also caused by agricultural practices such as mono-cropping.
- The use of pesticides in the production of crops and the mass rearing of livestock have also contributed to the release of phosphorus and nitrogen.
- It has also contributed to chemical pollution in rivers, streams, and coastal water, impacting marine life.
2. Wastage of the 1/3 of the world's fertile land areas
About ⅓ of the agricultural land of the planet is used to produce food that is not consumed. This fertile land could instead be used for other purposes.
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3. Blue water footprint
There is a huge volume of water that is used in the production of agricultural food.
- Hence if approximately 30 percent of all the food produced goes to waste, more than 30 percent of freshwater used in its production and processing also goes to waste.
- This contributes to the blue water footprint which refers to the amount of surface and groundwater resources that are consumed that goes to waste.
4. Increased carbon footprint and the acceleration of climate change
The wastage of food releases greenhouse gases that further accelerate the impacts of climate change.
- This is because of the energy wasted during the production, processing, and cooking of food.
- The methane gas that is produced at the landfills by the food that is wasted and thrown out accelerated climate change and global warming.
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Causes of Food Wastage
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Some of the causes of wastage of food are as follows -
- The lack of appropriate planning on the part of the consumers.
- The errors in industrial processing and distribution while abiding by the food safety policies
- The purchase and preparation of a lot of food lead to leftovers and the excess food gets wasted.
- Managerial constraints, inadequate finances, and technical difficulties in the fields of harvesting methods, cooling problems, and storage issues in adverse weather conditions, processing, packaging, and marketing systems.
- Over-preparation of food in restaurants, hotels, and the food service industry
- Over-merchandizing and over-ordering in food stores and supermarkets
- Consumer behavior
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Prevention of Wastage of Food
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The effects of wastage of food can be prevented in the following ways -
1. Balancing food production with demand
Food production should be balanced as per the demand in order to reduce the wastage of food.
- The use of natural resources in the production of food should be cut back.
- To try and save labor, money, and food, the food service industry should work to produce food in small batches or explore the cook to order option.
2. Improving food harvesting, processing, storage, and distribution processes
Efficient systems of production, distribution, storage, and processing of food should be developed.
- The practice of redistribution should be implemented to distribute food where there is a need and reduce the supply where the food is in surplus.
- Harvesting, processing, and storage of food should be improved by NGOs and governments by availing the subsidies and training for better production practices.
3. Food waste reduction initiatives
Food footprint should be reduced across all the outlets.
- Individual consumers can cut back their food footprint.
- Over-merchandising of food can also be reduced in order to minimize food wastage.
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4. Food recycling
Food recycling efforts should be maximized. Starch-rich food such as crisps, biscuits, bread, and breakfast cereals can be recycled into high-quality food for the livestock. This can reduce the emission of methane in landfills due to the wastage of food.
5. Foodprint campaigns
Campaigns for reducing food footprints should be implemented.
- They can help farmers, fishers, supermarkets, food processors, individual consumers, and governments to work on strategies to prevent food wastage.
- As a result of these campaigns, societies will be more aware of the ways for reducing their footprint and understand its environmental impacts.
This will eventually reduce food wastage and its adverse effects.
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Things to Remember
- The various effects of wastage of food include biodiversity loss, bluewater footprint, increased carbon footprint, and wastage of water.
- Food wastage can be prevented by improving food harvesting practices and food recycling.
- Wastage of food is basically caused by a lack of appropriate planning, error in industrial processing, and consumer behavior.
- A huge volume of water is used in the production of agricultural food.
- Therefore wastage of food leads to wastage of water also.
Sample Questions
Ques: What do you mean by Food Waste? List out a few types of Food waste. (5 marks)
Ans: The food which is not consumed is known as Food waste. The major causes of food wastage are the process of production of the food, processing, retail and food service sales, distribution, food system, and consumption. In the case of retail and food service sales, food waste is the food that is discarded by them due to the appearance and color of the food and also by the plate waste by the consumers. Food waste can be categorized into the following types:
- Catering Waste
- Packaging Waste
- Domestic Waste
- Mixed Food Waste
- Animals by-products waste
- Organic crop residue, which includes vegetables and fruits
Ques: How can food waste be used? (2 marks)
Ans: The food waste is collected and then put into the anaerobic digester, wherein in the absence of oxygen, the anaerobic microorganisms help in breaking down the food particles. Through this process, biogas is produced, which can be useful for many purposes. Food Waste can also be used to help feed the families in need. Wholesome and safe food which is currently thrown away by the consumers could be used to feed the hungry people of the country.
Ques: How Food Waste can be cured? (5 marks)
Ans: By following these steps, we can help reduce the food wastage:
- Planning a meal: By doing this, no extra food items will be bought and thus food wastage will be limited.
- Store food wisely
- Picking ugly vegetables and fruits and using these mature fruits in the making of juices, desserts, and smoothies.
- Adopting a healthier and a more sustainable diet
- Taking smaller portions at home and sharing large dishes while in the restaurants.
- Understanding of the food labeling and the “best before” and “Use-by” dates.
- Freezing the leftovers of the food and consuming those later on or as an ingredient in the other meal.
- Respecting food.
- Composting the food scraps instead of throwing them away. In this way, all the nutrients will be given back to the soil and this will also help in reducing the carbon footprint.
- By supporting local producers
Ques: How food waste can affect the environment? (2 marks)
Ans: The food waste which ends up in the garbage by the consumers and then in the landfills, produces methane gas. Methane gas is a greenhouse gas and is known to be 21 times more potent than carbon dioxide gas. When the food is wasted, all the efforts and the energy is also wasted which was required to grow the crop. The amount of water required for the growth of food, harvesting time, transportation and the packaging of food, and the energy, all these are wasted.
Ques: How to use the waste food? (5 marks)
Ans: Food waste can be used in the following ways:
- For making the stocks, bones from the meat or vegetable scraps can be frozen and then used.
- Stale bread can be used to make breadcrumbs or as Croutons, which can be added to the soups or salads.
- Peels of cucumber can be used as a skin moisturizer
- Squeezed half lemons are useful in cleaning the stovetops
- Lettuce hearts and pineapple tops can be used to grow more food.
Ques: List 6 environmentally friendly ways which can help in the recycling of food waste. (5 marks)
Ans: The 6 ways are as follows:
- Composting the kitchen as well as the garden scraps.
- Putting the food waste to work and recycling the food waste at the solid waste facility available in the town.
- Using leftovers for various other purposes
- Donating food waste for feeding the animals
- Converting food scraps into the production of Biogas
- Reusing the food’s packaging material
Ques: Why are pesticides used in the food? (4 marks)
Ans: Insects, weeds, germs, and rodents can cause a lot of damage to crops, and to reduce this damage, pesticides are used. Pesticides also help in increasing the yield of vegetables, fruits as well as other crops. Several kinds of pesticides used are:
- Insecticides: The contamination and the destruction caused by the insects and their eggs on the harvested crops are reduced by the usage of insecticides.
- Herbicides: Used to kill the weed and helps to improve the yield of the crops
- Rodenticides: The vermin and rodent borne diseases can cause the contamination and destruction of the harvested crops and this can be reduced by using Rodenticides.
- Fungicides: The crops are protected from fungal rots by using Fungicides.
Ques: How food wastage is related to the carbon footprint? (5 marks)
Ans: In lower-income households, food wastage is accountable for 10-30% of the carbon footprint of the household. Amongst all the foods, beef is the food item having the highest carbon footprint. The food footprint can be reduced by adopting a few of the following methods:
- By stopping the wastage of food.
- Eating less amount of meat
- Trying plant based proteins
- By cutting back on the dairy products like cheese and milk.
- Eating foods that are rich in fiber
- Growing one’s own produce in the backyard or a community garden.
- By intaking a sufficient amount of calories
- Purchasing local food and supporting local farmers
Ques: Name the top 10 food items that have the highest environmental footprint. (3 marks)
Ans: a. Lamb
- Beef
- Cheese
- Pork
- Farmed Salmon
- Turkey
- Chicken
- Canned Tuna
- Eggs
- Potatoes
Ques: How are emissions generated from food waste? (2 marks)
Ans: Around 10% of the total greenhouse gas emissions are generated due to food waste. When food waste is disposed of in the landfills, it eventually generates methane which is harmful to the environment. This can be prevented if food waste is composted rather than thrown in landfills.
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