I remember my grandmother scolding brother when he didn't use to finish his meal or when he used to drop his food outside plate while having. My grandmother used to say, you will be cursed for every grain of food you waste, for food is GOD. Now, I understand how sustainable living our grandparents had.

World Food Program (WFP) has reported that around 795 million people in the world don't have enough food to lead a healthy active which is around one in nine people on the earth. On one hand such a huge population is in dire need of healthy food and on the other hand food waste has been up surging and with changing climate food security seems questionable. Food can be wasted at each and every step of value chain or food chain from farm to table be it in production, harvesting, processing, retailing or consumption.

Nepalese community which is rich of traditions and culture holds a sincere respect for each grain of food. The lifestyle of our ancestors were much sustainable, they used to grow and consume local food which used to minimize food waste due to transportation and storage But in these days as feasts and celebration in restaurants are trending, food waste has been increasing each day. In traditional community people possessed some animals and the wasted food used to be consumed by animals or used for composting along with animal waste. But in this modernized society rarely people rear animals, houses are so congested that there is hardly space to composting or rearing animals. The problem is people these days mix degradable food waste with non- degradable which is just occupying more space in landfill. Study reports than around 70% of waste generated in Kathmandu valley, capital city of Nepal is organic, mainly food waste.

On the other side due to improved access of transportation, food waste at production stage is decreasing with increased facilities for storage and packaging. For example, in Hukkilung village of Gorkha district Nepal, the construction of gravity ropeway has reduced food wastes as product get access to market in short time. According to Nepal Agriculture Research Council post harvest technology plays an important role in food security and poverty alleviation of the country. Realizing the importance of post harvest technology, the Agriculture Perspective Plan for 20 years (2000- 2020 AD) has given due emphasis to the generation and dissemination of post harvest technology to improve the socio- economic condition of the country.

Though there is no specific policy for food waste in Nepal, but there is Food Act 1966 which is the primary legislation governing the food safety in Nepal. These days many social organizations and hotels/restaurants have been advocating for SAY NO TO FOOD WASTE. We can see placards and notice board in canteens requesting not to waste food. There is initiation of distributing remaining food to marginal community during feasts/celebration. A study conducted by the Solid Waste Management Technical Support Centre (SWMTSC) estimates 65 percent of household waste is organic in Nepal, mainly food waste.

To conclude, saying NO TO FOOD WASTE is crucial to ensure food security. In the past production loss used to be higher due to traditional methodology and lack of access to market but these day consumption loss is increasing due to increased ceremony and celebrations. Mass awareness needs to be boosted up to encourage rational food consumption. Youths like us should take the initiation by ourselves, in our family and university to ensure, we take how much we want and we finish how much we take.

Picture source: globalpressjournal.com

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