Food waste or food loss is the food that is discarded or cannot be reused.

 

Quick Facts about our Food System

According to FAO approximately 1.3 billion tons of food gets wasted every year, which accounts one-third of total food production for human consumption.

2.    Of the total food waste consumer in rich countries waste 222 million tonnes of food, that accounts the total production of sub-Sahara region(230 million tonnes) which is enough to feed 513 million people.

3.    FAO estimates 868 million people are suffering from chronic hunger.

4.    1/4th of total food waste is enough to feed the suffered people.  The total of wasted food is enough to feed 3 million people.

5.    By 2050 population of world is estimated to be 9 billion and to meet the food requirement production needs to be increased by 60% with a challenge of decreasing cultivable land area So the time has come to think that ? wasting a grain is snatching a grain 0f a hungry ?

6.     In developing countries, 40% loss is in harvesting, processing and handling and in industrialized countries 40% loss is in retail and consumer level

 

Causes of food wastage:

1.       Lack of awareness

2.     Lack of post harvest management knowledge

3.     Lack of shopping planning

4.     Confusion on best before and use by

5.     Market inefficiencies

6.     Over production

7.     Inadequate storage facility in whole food chain

8.     Catering services, restaurents,hotels estimated cooking

9.      No knowledge on how to utilize left over

10.    Showy feelings during festivals

11.     Dining table leftovers

 

 

Control Measures:

1.       If we really want to stop wastage we can we just need to manage our habits .

2.    Plan shopping, buy and cook as required,dont avoid funny looking products,

3.    Manage proper storage facility

4.    Provide knowledge on post harvest management

5.    Practice FIFO first in first out, during cooking

6.    Manage leftovers :pickling, freezer checking, use wilt veg for soups

 

Problems caused by food waste :

1.        Squandering of resources like water land energy labour capital

2.     Economic loss to people and country

3.     Generate hunger problem

4.     Environmenral pollution

5.     Increased green house gas emission.

So time has come to act not think. A grain you save will be a grain grown for other. Think before you eat.

 

Organization working for food security and against wastage:

 

The Nepal Food Security Monitoring System (NeKSAP) collects, analyzes and presents information on household food security, emerging crises, markets and nutrition from across Nepal. It is the comprehensive food security monitoring and analysis system in Nepal. The NeKSAP was initially established by the World Food Programme but is currently being institutionalized by the Government of Nepal in collaboration with the Ministry of Agricultural Development (MoAD) and the National Planning Commission(NPC)

 

 

 

Food Security :

Food security exists when all people, at all times, have access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.The concept of food security has four pillars (availability, access, utilization and stability). The issue of food security is multidimensional, that varies across countries, social groups and time.

 

Nepal and Food Security:

Nepal is a food deficit land locked and least developed country, having a population of more than 27 million people. Around 31 percent people in the country live below poverty level. Around 49.3 percent of under-five children are chronically malnourished. Globally, Nepal ranks 145th out of 182 countries in terms of its Human Development Index (UNDP, 2009).

 

Reason for Food Insecurity

Main reasons for food insecurity are categorized according to four pillars :

 

1. Availability

• Low agricultural production and productivity and high population growth

• Small land holding

• Feudalism and labor management

• Misuse of food commodities

• Dependency syndrome on food aid.

 

2. Access

• Unequal food distribution

• Lack of road network and market in remote area

• Lack of emergency backup services

• Poor purchasing capacity of people

• Social and geographical disparities and exclusion.

 

3. Utilization

• Lack of awareness on nutrition and food habit

• High levels of malnutrition

• Poor basic services

• High disease incidence.

 

4. Stability/Vulnerability to Food

• Low income

• Frequent disaster

• Social conflict

• Poor political and economic governance and other

• No functioning of traditional/indigenous community food safety net.