INTRODUCTION

Every year, around 1.3 billion tons of food is wasted globally. In other words, one-third of all food produced for human consumption is either wasted or ends up finding its way into a landfill. According to the UN, even if just a quarter of the food currently lost or wasted across the world could be saved, it would be enough to feed 870 million hungry people in the world. With over 10 million tons of food being mobilized within the UAE per year, including imports and local production, it is estimated that 3.27 million tons of food is wasted in the UAE, enough to fill 136,250 trucks. In the UA.E, the figures on food wastage are shocking, particularly during Ramadan. In Dubai, 38 percent of the food consumed every day is wasted, while during Ramadan, this figure climbs to 55 percent. The Gulf Cooperation Council countries rank among the top nations in the world as far as food wastage is concerned. The rule seems to be, if you can afford it, you can throw it away too. Food waste and loss is considered a major waste of resources, including water, land, energy, labour and capital. Moreover, the resultant gases released contribute to global warming, causing a rise in temperatures and climate change.

 

COMPOSTING ORGANIC WASTE

 If food waste is discarded along with other waste like paper, it will contaminate the waste that can be recycled. So it turns into an environmental problem. Apart from the cost of the wasted food, the expense involved in its disposal and the subsequent strain on the environment is equally costly and damaging. The sheer volume of space organic waste takes up is of major concern and the trash bags in which it is collected may not be biodegradable. Trucks used to transport food waste to landfills add to the air pollution. Most dangerous of all is the methane gas produced by decomposing food waste in landfills. It contributes to the greenhouse effect and according to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is 25 times more lethal than carbon dioxide. Rotting food waste can also contribute to contamination of groundwater. Composting organic waste can turn it into fertilizer. Composting can be the viable alternative to cut emissions, reduce waste going to landfills and bring down costs of cleaning the environment.

 

WASTE FOOD EATER

Apart from government efforts to reduce the carbon footprint from food waste, some private companies in the UAE are also taking steps to turn food waste into compost. For instance, the Westin Abu Dhabi Golf Resort and Spa has taken a giant step towards sustainability by recycling food waste into natural compost that can be added to the soil. The hotel has installed a machine called the Waste Food Eater that can devour up to 600 kilograms of waste food at one go. All kinds of waste food, including vegetables, meat and even bones can be processed into fertilizer by the machine. The machine installed by Dubai-based Union Papers processes food waste into one-third its size by generating heat and through high-pressure mixing. The moisture is removed from food and the extracted water is drained out through a pipe. It takes 10 hours to complete a single cycle, and the end product, a dry brown soil-like powder, is currently used to fertilize the hotel's herb garden growing organic vegetables. 

 

CHARITY

In restaurants and hotels where edible food goes to waste, there is the option of giving it away to the needy. If the food is fit for consumption, then it can be given to charity. The reason most food outlets avoid opting to distribute their waste food among the needy is the extreme care required to ensure it does not get spoilt in the process of transportation. In a country where the outdoor temperatures can soar during summer, transporting a highly perishable commodity like food is no easy task.

So, what can an individual do to fight the crisis? ?In rich countries like the UAE, adopting a more responsible attitude towards food can be triggered by an increased awareness of the issue of world hunger that one in eight people in the world will go to bed hungry at night.

 

 

I?MPERFECT CAMPAIGN

I got the opportunity of raising awareness in an initiative of Ministry of Environment and Water called I?MPERFECT, a national campaign to reduce food waste across the UAE at the Times Square Centre in Dubai. As 20- 40% of food goes to waste due to its shape, size, colour or appearance.  Do you know before imperfect produce reach the market, it is rejected not because of quality but because supermarkets want vegetables packaged to be in the same shape, size and colour. So even before the produce leaves farms a large portion is set aside of Pale and misshapen tomatoes, crooked cucumber and capsicum, ugly carrots and so on. This campaign aims to ask customers Don?t you think these deserve a second chance and aims to put them on your dinner plate.

 FOOD FACTS

1.3 billion tonnes of food are wasted every year.
300 million barrels of oil and 25 per cent of all fresh water is used to produce the
food that is wasted globally.
198 million hectares of land are used to produce food that is lost or wasted each year — the size of Mexico.
33 per cent of Abu Dhabi?s waste comprises food, according to a 2009 study by the Centre for Waste Management – Abu Dhabi.
5,600 megatonnes of greenhouse gases are associated with producing food that is
ultimately lost or wasted.

 

TOP TIPS TO AVOID FOOD WASTAGE

1.Cook less: Make enough food for the number of people you are feeding. If there will be six people for dinner, don?t cook food for 10.

2.Measure your portions: This removes the guesswork by suggesting how much to cook, which will lead to cooking the necessary amount and not throwing away excess food.

3.Plan your meals: Keep your fridge stocked with the basics (milk, eggs, yoghurt), so when it comes time to writing your shopping list, you will buy only those ingredients you need.

4.Be aware of expiry dates: Keep an eye on the ?best before? or ?use by? dates.

5.Don?t go grocery shopping when hungry: Ever noticed that if you go grocery shopping when hungry you end up buying unnecessary amounts or kinds of food that you might not end up consuming? Avoid impulse buys.

6.Make use of your leftovers: Go online or get creative and make the most of your leftovers – after making sure they are still edible.

7.Avoid piling up your plate: Be sensible when choosing what to eat, this way you avoid throwing away excess food left on your plate.

8.Share with others: Remember there are always people out there who are in need of
food, so instead of throwing leftovers, give them away to those in need. Please make sure the food is safe to eat before donating it.

9.Compost your waste: By composting your organic waste you are returning nutrients to the soil, disposing of organic waste in a proper manner and protecting the environment.

www.uaeinteract.com/french/news/default.asp?ID=23

gulfnews.com/news/uae/

www.hoteliermiddleeast.com/23734-over-354bn-