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Being committed to preserving the environment has long become a necessity rather than a fad. The climate change and the enormous amounts of garbage that have polluted the oceans are alarming and it's essential that we start making a positive change right now.

However, no matter how willing some people are to improve the state of the environment, they just don't know where to begin. If you're one of them, you should know that every act, as small as it may seem to you, definitely counts.

So, why not start with how you shop for food? Here are 6 simple ways to make your grocery shopping more sustainable, starting today.

Shop Locally

There are several benefits that nature can get from you shopping locally.

Probably the most significant one is that any goods that are produced and sold at the same place don't require to travel anywhere to reach the consumers. This cuts down carbon emissions and lowers air pollution.

Even if such food has to travel a short distance, it's still a less harmful option for the environment than having to transport it to another country or even continent. In addition, when food doesn't have to travel far, it's bound to get to the buyer sooner, which reduces , since it's less likely that the product will get damaged or go bad in transport. Plus, it needs less packaging than it would if it was to travel a long distance.

Finally, locally produced food is normally considerably fresher than any other and it allows you to support your local farmers and small businesses.

Buy Seasonal Food

Another way to shop for food sustainably is to opt for seasonal food whenever possible.

First of all, it's much healthier for you to buy fresh food than processed, as fresh food will retain all of its precious nutrients for longer. It's also important to note that processed food will produce a higher carbon footprint throughout the production process, so choosing fresh seasonal food will not only be a healthier source of nourishment for you, but it's also good for the environment.

Furthermore, seasonal food is often sourced locally, which is another eco-friendly upside to buying it. After all, when you buy tropical fruit out of season, you can be sure that it had to travel a long way to get to you, leaving a noteworthy carbon footprint.

One good idea would be to make a shopping list based on what meals you plan to cook during the week and then visit the closest farmers' market or grocery store, preferably on foot or by bike, and buy what's in season.

Bring Your Own Bag

The single-use plastic shopping bags are extreme polluters and, by using them regularly, you add to the gigantic piles of garbage in landfills and, consequently, the waters.

They need about 300 years to degrade, breaking down into particles that are toxic and that end up in the soil and waters. It's not uncommon that these particles are ingested by various animals, becoming a part of the food chain. In fact, animals frequently mistake plastic bags for food, swallowing them and paying for it with their lives, which is why these bags present a danger to marine life globally.

While some countries have already banned plastic bags, this is still an important issue to tackle in the rest of the world. While waiting for the governments to react, do your part by purchasing or making your own reusable shopping bags, but also smaller produce bags, for your fruit and vegetables and even meat and dairy products.

These can usually be folded so that they don't take up too much space in your backpack or your handbag, and you can carry them with you at all times, using them when you need them.

Turn to Online Shopping

Although it's quicker for you to just run to the store, buy what you need and bring it home straight away, online shopping is a more environmentally friendly way to go about this.

The brick-and-mortar stores need plenty of electric power and water to run normally, producing a lot of waste and carbon emissions. Ordering food online and having it delivered to you directly from storage is much eco-friendlier and is something you should start practicing.

This is especially true for the rural areas, where the bigger stores are further away from you and you need to travel by car to reach them. Being organized and ordering your food on time, so that it reaches you when you need it, can make a huge difference in protecting the environment.

Nowadays you can order pretty much anything, from tea and coffee to cooking needs to top-quality vegan snacks online. This type of shopping is practical, as websites list the ingredients of different products so that you can read them thoroughly before deciding what you want to purchase, and the best ones even offer free shipping if you spend a certain amount of money on their site.

Whenever you can, choose standard shipping over express one, so that the online store can focus more on delivering the product to you with the environment in mind, rather than delivering it faster.

Shop in Bulk

Driving cars causes air pollution and is something that we should limit to the best of our ability. This is why you should plan your trips to the store or the local market meticulously so that you don't have to drive more often than absolutely necessary.

Similarly, you should avoid buying food in individual packaging, since that means more plastic in landfills.

One excellent way to deal with both these problems is to start buying in bulk whenever the circumstances allow it. The great thing is that many shops now store food like nuts, dry beans, or tea in large containers, from which you can simply take as much as you want. If you bring your own reusable bags and cycle to the shop, this can mean a zero-waste shopping trip.

And if you buy enough to last you for a while, you're saving yourself an extra run to the store, which reduces your personal cost but also promotes good environmental habits.

Don't Go Overboard

As smart as buying in bulks can be, it can also be a bad idea to buy more than you'll actually eat.

When you purchase too much fresh produce, and then you don't eat it all before it goes bad, you'll end up throwing it away. You should be reasonably restrictive when buying perishables.

Sometimes they'll be on sale and it will seem that you're getting a bargain if you buy a bigger amount, but if your food eventually goes to waste, you aren't really saving any money. This is something that often happens when people take bigger shopping trips less frequently, so perhaps going weekly instead of monthly is a better idea, particularly so if you don't live too far from where you do your shopping.

Another solution is to store your food more mindfully. Placing perishable foods in the front part of your fridge will make them more visible and you won't forget to use them before they expire. Learn which foods should be kept in the fridge, and which in the pantry, but also what food you can freeze for later use so that you lower food waste.

Key Takeaways on Sustainable Grocery Shopping

Being slightly more attentive when it comes to nature preservation can get us all a long way. If you take small steps and begin making changes for the better gradually, you'll soon become the difference you're hoping to see in the world.

Following the good advice above can help you contribute to the environment and make this planet a better place for you and future generations.
Lilly Miller is a freelance writer, who focuses on interior design, well-being and sustainable living. She loves to experiment on daring new home decor trends and write about it as a regular contributor to Smooth Decorator. Settled in Sydney for the time being, Lilly shares home with two loving dogs and a gecko named Rodney. You can find her hanging out on Twitter.

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A Guide to Sustainable Grocery Shopping: 6 Simple Techniques

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Being committed to preserving the environment has long become a necessity rather than a fad. The climate change and the enormous amounts of garbage that have polluted the oceans are alarming and it's essential that we start making a positive change right now.

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Around 88 million tonnes of food is wasted in the EU every year, with more than half coming from households, but we can all take action by changing the way we shop, cook, and plan our meals to avoid wasting food, money, and resources.

1. Plan your meals

2. Know how to store your food

3. Understand 'use by' vs 'best before' dates

4. Use what you have

5. Avoid serving too much

6. Know your moulds

7. Share extra food with others

8. Repurpose waste where possible

1. Plan your meals

It's only a bargain if we can use the food in time! Be aware that our schedules can be busy and unpredictable. 'Buy-one-get-one-free' and other bulk deals lead to buying more than we need, shifting the waste from the store to our home. In food waste terms, it's wise not to buy more than needed.

Simple tips can help you to only buy what you need:

Prepare a meal plan for the week.

Check or take a photo of what's left in the fridge and cupboards before shopping, so you know what you have

Go food shopping after a meal rather than right before

Use a shopping list, noting the amounts required.

Factor in potential eating out occasions.

Give imperfect fruit and vegetables a chance, they are perfectly edible and nutritious.

2. Know how to store your food

Make sure food doesn't disappear in the cupboards or fridge by applying the first-in-first-out principle. Fresh groceries go behind products nearer to expiry dates which move closer and more visible.

Organise the fridge by keeping ready to eat foods such as leftovers on the top shelf and sealed raw meat and fish on the bottom shelf to avoid dripping. Reserve a separate drawer for fruit and vegetables.

Unsure if a food item should be stored inside or outside the fridge? Check our list of common confusions while storing food.

Keep track of food storage at home by using a digital storage guide, smart fridge, app or online template.

3. Undertsand 'use by' vs 'best before' dates

The 'use by' date on packaged food tells us when it is still safe to eat the product. The use-by date is usually found on perishable foods such as chilled meat, dairy, and ready-made meals. To avoid wasting food these should be purchased when, and in the amount, necessary. It's best not to stock up.

'Best before' dates are more flexible than use by date. After this date, foods such as dried beans, lentils, and pasta, can be consumed safely, although their quality may have decreased (for example, changes in flavour, colour, texture). Trusting our senses should be sufficient to detect the quality of foods with these labels.

4. Use what you have

Check what's in the fridge and cupboards regularly and use up foods nearing their expiry dates.

Combine any vegetables left into a 'clean-out-the-fridge' pot of pasta, soup, omelette, or stir fry. We get to enjoy a new recipe and avoid throwing out good food.

Get creative, find recipes on how to cook with few ingredients

Freeze food before its use-by date. Frozen fruits can make a nice addition to smoothies!

5. Avoid serving too much

Here are some simple practices that help:

Serve small portions and come back for seconds, rather than scraping excess food from our plates into the bin.

Use smaller sized plates to serve food.

Measure portion sizes with low-cost kitchen helpers such as measuring cups and scoops for appropriate portion sizes.

Improve the dining experience by being mindful, eating away from a screen and taking more time

Use leftovers for lunch the next day. Not enough leftovers for a whole meal? Mix and match from different meals, add some salad or bread, and a feast appears before us!

Freeze for later. For the tastiest results, frozen leftovers should be used within three months (more on how to safely handle them here).

Date-label leftovers

Ask for a doggy bag when dining out, it is okay to take leftovers and there should be no shame about it. Bringing a container can also help reduce packaging waste.

Share tasty leftover recipes with friends and family, host a meal where you cook with leftover food or initiate a food waste contest in your community.

6. Know your moulds

If mould appears, whether we can still 'rescue' the food depends on what it is. The following general rules can help us know what to do.

Hard foods should be safe to consume once the mouldy part is removed along with the surrounding area. This includes hard cheeses, hard cured meats (such as salami and ham) and firm fruits and vegetables (such as cabbages bell peppers, root vegetables).

Soft foods should be thrown out once they start to mould. This includes cooked leftovers, soft cheeses, yoghurts and other dairy products, bread, jams and soft fruits and veggies (such as cucumbers, peaches, tomatoes, berries and so on). This is because mould can spread in soft foods (and we might not even see it).

7. Share extra food with others

If the food is still safe, but we know we won't be able to use it ourselves, there are ways to share:

Ask around, friends or colleagues could make use of what we won't.

Check if there are food banks around that accept donations and distribute them to people in need.

Invite neighbours over for a meal, it's not only a nice way to gain new friends.

8. Repurpose waste where possible

Try to repurpose food scraps before they make it to the compost bin. Broccoli stems and florets can be chopped and cooked, cauliflower leaves can be baked, potatoes can be oven baked with skin, herbs can be frozen in cubes, roasted celery leaves can be used as a seasoning and other scraps can be transformed into homemade stock!

Keep a food waste diary and scribble down creative ways to stop wasting food. Use Apps or find templates online.

Pick up food from restaurants and stores that would otherwise be wasted. There are plenty of inspiring and growing initiatives to share, exchange or buy otherwise wasted food. Scroll down for a full list of European initiatives and Apps.

For what can't be saved, composting is an option. Composting a natural process where microorganisms biodegrade food waste, turning it into a dark, earthy, nutrient-rich material that promotes healthy soil. Note that while composting food at home does not reduce food waste, it can go a small way to helping reduce the environmental impact by repurposing waste into compost that helps nourish the soil.

Community composting and separate food waste bins are a step in the right direction. We can check with our local government, to see what kind of food waste collection is available.

Or we can feed our garden! Compost is an affordable organic alternative to purchased fertiliser, but it's best to stick to plant-based foods (as meat and animal products could lead to bad smells and pests).

References

1. European commission website. Food waste section.

2. EUFIC website, Safe food storage at home.

3. USDA website, Food safety education section.

4. Stop Food Waste website, Home composting section.

5. Recommendations for Action in Food Waste Prevention

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Around 88 million tonnes of food is wasted in the EU every year, with more than half coming from households5, but we can all take action by changing the way we shop, cook, and plan our meals to avoid wasting food, money, and resources.1

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Tips for making shopping more sustainable

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Tips for making shopping more sustainable

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Tips for Making Your Grocery Shopping More Sustainable

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Food expiration dates don’t mean what you think - Carolyn Beans

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Poster Making | How to make a Poster | Format | Example | Writing Skills

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Environmental issues are big news - and climate experts agree that governments, industry leaders and consumers need to act now on a range of changes including what food we produce and how we eat.

Are the most environmentally sustainable ways to eat also good for human health and how can you get started to make a difference today?

These sustainable diets pages are for health professionals and the public to learn more about some of the complex and confusing messages on this critical topic, and discover more about sustainable food practices.

What is a sustainable diet?

The dictionary definition of sustainable is 'able to be maintained'. The environment is thousands of different parameters, with huge scope for how these can be assessed and measured, and how interactions can be identified.

In policy discussions, many stakeholders refer to 'sustainable diets' to include ethical / social and economic aspects, as well as environmental aspects: these constitute the three pillars (or principles) of sustainability.

The official definition of a sustainable diet from the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations is ¹:
"Sustainable Healthy Diets are dietary patterns that promote all dimensions of individuals' health and wellbeing; have low environmental pressure and impact; are accessible, affordable, safe and equitable; and are culturally acceptable."
The Food Climate Research Network (FCRN) is based at the University of Oxford. Tara Garnett, their director, has long been an active researcher into the overlap of better diets / better food systems, and supports consumer messages on healthy and sustainable diet choices as ²:

Diversity - a wide variety of foods eaten.

Balance achieved between energy intake and energy needs.

Based around: minimally processed tubers and whole grains; legumes; fruits and vegetables.

Meat, if eaten, in moderate quantities - and all animal parts consumed.

Dairy products or alternatives (e.g. fortified milk substitutes and other foods rich in calcium and micronutrients) eaten in moderation.

Unsalted seeds and nuts.

Small quantities of fish and aquatic products sourced from certified fisheries.

Very limited consumption of foods high in fat, sugar or salt and low in micronutrients.

Oils and fats with a beneficial Omega 3:6 ratio such as rapeseed and olive oil.

Tap water in preference to other beverages - particularly soft drinks.

During a major review of this area, the BDA One Blue Dot project brought together the latest thinking on healthy eating patterns for the UK with environmental science to create a 9-point plan for sustainable eating:

Discussion and decisions of sustainable diets need to be pragmatic and based on which are the most GHGe (greenhouse gas emissions) sparing balanced against nutritional values. Our research also supports that in order for us to adopt healthy and more sustainable eating patterns, experts need to model realistic adoption and minimal changes to current eating patterns to make them acceptable.

The tools in this section of the website are a start to help with this.
References

1. FAO and WHO. 2019. Sustainable healthy diets - Guiding principles. Rome. https://www.fao.org/3/ca6640en/ca6640en.pdf

2. Gonzalez Fischer C, Garnett T. Plates, pyramids and planets. Developments in national healthy and
sustainable dietary guidelines: a state of play assessment [Internet]. 2016 [cited Jul 2018]. Available
from:http://www.fao.org/3/a-i5640e.pdf

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Environmental issues are big news - and climate experts agree that governments, industry leaders and consumers need to act now on a range of changes including what food we produce and how we eat.

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Sustainable Food Demystified: All You Need to Know (3 Minutes)

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The new year is a good time to think about making some positive changes. Have you thought about making some Stop Food Waste Resolutions this year?

Reducing our food waste is one of the most effective things we can do for climate action. It can also save time, stress, and - something we all want to save more of these days - money.

We're all feeling the pinch this January so every step we can take to spend less will be welcome for our pockets as well as the planet!
Resolutions to Stop Food Waste:

Plan your food shop - make a shopping list of what you need and stick to it. Planning ahead will help you save money and feel more organised.

Turn your leftovers into delicious meals using our Leftovers Cookbook.

Store food correctly to help it keep for longer. Check out our A-Z guide for tips on how to store fresh produce.

Use clear containers to store food in your fridge to see what you have.

Plan your portions and measure out ingredients by count, by volume or by weight.

What will your Stop Food Waste Resolutions be?
We'd love to hear about what steps you're taking to Stop Food Waste this year. Share yours by using #StopFoodWaste on social media!

Find us on:

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Stop Food Waste Resolutions - Stop Food Waste

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The new year is a good time to think about making some positive changes. Have you thought about making some Stop Food Waste Resolutions this year? Reducing our food waste is one of the most effective things we can do for climate action.

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Reducing Food Waste, Lessons from a No Spend Year - Stop Food Waste

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Reducing Food Waste, Lessons from a No Spend Year Read this Guest Blog from Mrs Smart Money, Kel... When it comes to reducing food waste and getting the

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Shopping and storage Archives - Stop Food Waste

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Reduce your food waste and save yourself money!

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What is food waste? Who and what does it affect? 

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What is food waste? Who and what does it affect? 

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Almost 133 billion pounds of food in the U.S. is wasted annually. Learn how to reduce food waste, and get a soup recipe using leftovers.

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Organic foods have long been a topic of debate, as many have argued they are healthier than non-organic, or “conventional” foods. However, the differences between these two options are more complicated than they may seem. So...Is organic food really better for you?

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Although there is no consensus on which diet is the most sustainable, there are many steps a person can take to reduce their environmental impact. Learn more here.

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Is Organic Food Really Better for the Environment?

When you walk into any farmers' market, you're greeted with signs that say "Certified Organic" in bold letters. Despite being far more expensive than its non-organic counterparts, organic agriculture has become the most popular type of alternative farming, not only in the United States but also globally.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), as of 2012, organic farming accounted for 3 percent of the total sales within the country's food industry. Even in European countries like Finland, Austria, and Germany, governments have been busy implementing plans and policies that aim to dedicate 20 percent of land area to organic farming. In South Asia, Bhutan has ambitious plans of going 100 percent organic by 2020. Meanwhile, Sikkim, a state in north-eastern India had managed to go 100 percent organic in 2016.

The gradual shift towards organic farming has been mainly because we as consumers have become increasingly concerned about the health impacts of accidentally consuming pesticides and chemical fertilizers. During the 1990s, the USDA first standardized the meaning of the term "organic" - basically, farmers do not use any form of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, or fungicides to grow their produce.

Organic farming is widely considered to be a far more sustainable alternative when it comes to food production. The lack of pesticides and wider variety of plants enhances biodiversity and results in better soil quality and reduced pollution from fertilizer or pesticide run-off.

Conventional farming has been heavily criticized for causing biodiversity loss, soil erosion, and increased water pollution due to the rampant usage of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. However, despite these glaring cons, scientists are concerned that organic farming has far lower yields as compared to conventional farming, and so requires more land to meet demand.
A polarized debate
Not surprisingly, the debate over organic versus conventional farming is heavily polarized in academic circles. Of late, the conversation about organic farming has shifted from its lack of chemicals to its impact on greenhouse gas emissions. In December 2018, researchers from Chalmers University of Technology published a study in the journal Nature that found that organic peas farmed in Sweden have a bigger climate impact (50 percent higher emissions) as compared to peas that were grown conventionally in the country.

"Organic farming has many advantages but it doesn't solve all the environmental problems associated with producing food. There is a huge downside because of the extra land that is being used to grow organic crops," said Stefan Wirsenius, an associate professor at Chalmers. "If we use more land for food, we have less land for carbon sequestration. The total greenhouse gas impact from organic farming is higher than conventional farming."

Soon after the paper was published and widely covered by various news organizations globally, several researchers criticized the study. Andrew Smith, a chief scientist at the Rodale Institute, lashed out in a post saying that it was "irresponsible to extrapolate a global phenomenon based on two crops grown in one country over three years."

Smith also added that more data should be included and analyzed before making conclusions. Commenting on this, Wirsenius said, "It is true that we had a small comparison between organic versus conventional farming based on Swedish statistics. This is because Sweden is one of the very few countries that has statistics that include the yields from organic and conventional crops."

"It would have been better with bigger sample size and that is a valid concern," he added.

It is estimated that by 2050, the demand for food is going to increase by 59 to 98 percent due to the ever-increasing global population. A major challenge for the agriculture business is not only trying to figure out how to feed a growing population, but also doing so while adapting to climate change and coming up with adequate mitigation measures.

Some scientists continue to be concerned that with limited land areas that will be available for farming, it might not be sustainable for industrialized countries to go 100 percent organic. A recent study published in the journal Nature Communications concludes that the widespread adoption of organic farming practices in England and Wales would lead to increases in greenhouse gas emissions. This is mainly because agricultural yields would be 40 percent lower.

The researchers argued that with fewer crops being grown locally, these two countries would have to import more food supplies. However, if England and Wales did not solely rely on organic farming, and both countries' farmers used this alternative form of farming on a smaller scale, it could result in a 20 percent reduction in carbon emissions.

"For organic farming to be successful, agribusinesses would have to find the balance between the costs involved and also, its carbon footprint, while taking into consideration the overall need to meet the high demands for food," said Alexander Ruane, a research physical scientist at NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies and an adjunct associate research scientist at the Columbia University Center for Climate Systems Research. "That's tough because the goal of organic farming in developed countries currently is about meeting the needs of those who can afford the luxury to buy the highest quality food. If the needs of this luxury interfere with the need to feed the entire population, then you have the potential for conflicts."
The blurry line between "good" and "bad"
Making matters more complicated, some experts worry that the term "organic food" is not always properly regulated. As more large corporations get involved in organic markets, researchers claim that this shift to the mainstream has "led to the weakening of ecologically beneficial standards". It may also limit organic farming's ability to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

While researchers and the general public remain divided on whether organic farming is more sustainable than conventional farming, Sonali McDermid, an assistant professor at the department of environmental studies at New York University, says that it is very hard to generalize across any farming systems or label conventional or organic farming as "good" or "bad". "They have very different manifestations, depending upon where you go," she said.

"An apt example would be the case of a farm involved in the production of organic berries in Central Valley, California. While they are not using additional land area or chemical inputs like in conventional farming, they are using other really strong inputs like sulfur," explained McDermid. "This can be harmful to farmworkers as they need to wear proper suits and protective gear even though it is not chemically synthetic. Despite that, it is just as powerful in some cases."

McDermid is also concerned that some agribusinesses can farm uniformly without any biodiversity and still call themselves organic. Whereas in developing or emerging economies - for example in India - farmers tend to follow a far more traditional definition of organic farming.

"In India, organic farms grow lots of different crops at the same time. They grow plants that can naturally keep pests away and don't use powerful inputs like sulfur. Instead, the farmers use plants and biodiversity to help regulate their cropping systems," said McDermid.

Indian farmers who grow organic crops also make their fertilizers by filling a field with legumes that they grow in rotations. Once the legumes have fully grown, the farmers manually plow them into the ground. That results in larger quantities of nitrogen being pumped into the soil, as opposed to only using manure or even worse, synthetic fertilizers.

McDermid said that in some areas of the developing world, organic farming can actually boost yields over conventional farming because it doesn't rely on so much water and chemical inputs. These practices also build soil fertility and lead to less pollution.

Experts maintain that in the heated debate over organic versus conventional farming, there needs to be more information available for consumers when it comes to labeling and even understanding the certification processes in industrialized countries like the U.S.

"A huge fraction, if not the majority of organic goods sold at supermarkets in the U.S. is probably industrial," added McDermid. For now, in the developed world, the industrialization or commercialization of organic farming has resulted in a lot of difficulty for both consumers and researchers, who are trying to understand what the goals of this booming industry are.
To eat organic or not to eat organic
In the U.S., even sustainability experts continue to be unsure of whether food items like fruits and vegetables with the "certified organic" labels are in fact, genuinely organic or not. McDermid said that even she sometimes feels uncertain about what to buy in the supermarket.

That being said, both Wirsenius and McDermid agree that it is far more environmentally sustainable to eat organic chicken instead of beef that was produced conventionally. Yet, consuming large portions of organically produced meat will still have a bigger environmental impact than eating conventionally produced crops and fruits.

Taking into consideration the high costs involved in going 100 percent organic, especially when it comes to buying fruits and vegetables, McDermid said if you can afford to spend extra, she would recommend buying them.

It might also help to look for organic food that was grown locally. For instance, several community gardens grow organic vegetables that are sold in nearby farmers' markets.

Keeping that in mind, there's no need to feel guilty or under pressure to spend extra for organic produce. "I would never put that kind of pressure on anybody. It's really unfortunate we're in a situation where agribusinesses focus only on yields, which makes an alternative form of farming comparatively much more expensive," sighed McDermid.

While the organic versus conventional farming debate rages on, there is one clear way to lower the environmental impact of your food, and it won't hurt your wallet: reducing the amount of meat in your diet.

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Is Organic Food Really Better for the Environment?

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When you walk into any farmers' market, you're greeted with signs that say "Certified Organic" in bold letters. Despite being far more expensive than its non-organic counterparts, organic agriculture has become the most popular type of alternative farming, not only in the United States but also globally.

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Fight climate change by preventing food waste

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Fight climate change by preventing food waste

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Fight climate change by preventing food waste

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An estimated one-third of all the food produced in the world goes to waste. Food waste is both a humanitarian concern and drives climate change. Here are some tips to prevent food waste.

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In a world where people are dying from hunger, one-third of all food produced is thrown away every year. Not only does food waste exacerbate food insecurity, but it also causes severe damage to our environment. When we factor in all the different variables that go into producing the food we eat, the hidden impact it has on the environment is revealed. How does food waste affect the environment? Read on to find out. __
Tossing away uneaten food may appear like meagre damage to the planet when compared to other issues, but the haunting reality is that it is just as harmful.

What Is Food Waste?

Food waste is food that is intended for human consumption that is wasted and lost, and can occur anywhere throughout the entire supply chain from farm stage to harvest to households. Although the term may be self-explanatory, two types of food waste are apparent . The first being "food loss", which refers to the food that we lose at the early stages of its production process. The second being "food wastage", which refers to food that is perfectly fit for human consumption, but it gets discarded for a different reason.

How Is Food Waste Produced?

The typical stages of the food production process consists of the food being grown, processed, sorted, packaged, transported, marketed, and then eventually sold. When we look at the statistics, food waste can be identified as occurring at all stages throughout its production. Therefore, every time food is wasted, all the resources used in each step of the production is also wasted, bringing the social cost up even higher.

Looking at the production process as a chain framework can help identify where the issues are. At the beginning of this chain, also known as the "upstream" stage, the food is grown, harvested, processed and sent to be sold. At later stages of the chain, also known as the "downstream" stage, food is successfully processed and sent to consumers and commerce markets but it is wasted for other reasons unrelated to whether it is fit for human consumption or not.

The later the food is wasted along the chain, the greater its environmental impact is as the further down the chain we go, the more energy and natural resources are needed in the complete production process of the food.

In 2013, the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) released a report that analysed the impacts of global food wastage on the environment . They identified patterns in food waste on a global level.

They found that middle to higher income countries' food waste occurs in the "downstream" phase of the production process, as they found that their food was wasted by consumers and commerce businesses. They also established that developing countries were more likely to contribute to food waste in the "upstream" phase of the production process, usually due to infrastructural challenges such as lack of refrigeration, improper storage facilities, technical constraints in harvesting techniques etc.

How Does Food Waste Affect the Environment?

1. Waste of Natural Resources

There are a number of ways in which food waste can affect the environment. When we waste food, we waste the natural resources used for producing that food, the three main ones being energy, fuel and water.

Water is needed for all stages of the food production process, as well as in all types of food produced. Agriculture accounts for 70% of the water used throughout the world. This includes the irrigation and spraying required for crops, and the water needed for rearing cattle, poultry and fish. By wasting food, we are wasting fresh water. Given that countries have a severe water shortage , with countries being predicted to be uninhabitable in a few decades , conserving freshwater should be a global mission.

Growing plants and rearing animals drains a huge volume of fresh water . Food such as fruit and vegetables are water-laden, and require a huge amount of water to grow. Additionally, different types of plants need different amounts of water to grow. Animals also require a large amount of water for both their growth and their feed. Producing meat requires more water supply, yet meat is the food that is thrown out the most.

Therefore, growing food that goes to waste ends up using up to 21% of freshwater, 19% of our fertilisers, 18% of our cropland, and 21% of our landfill volume . Throwing away a kilogram of beef is equivalent to throwing away 50,000 litres of water. Pouring a glass of milk down the sink is nearly 1,000 litres of water wasted. Additionally, taking into account global food transportation, large amounts of oil, diesel and other fossil fuels are consumed as well.
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2. Contribution to Climate Change

It contributes towards 20% of the global greenhouse gas emissions released. When we factor in the greenhouse gas emissions released from the use of natural resources, the contribution to climate change is astonishing. If a decent food waste treatment system were implemented, it would stop 11% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

If we stopped throwing food away, we can save the equivalent of 17 metric tonnes of CO2, which can be the environmental equivalent of five cars off the roads in the UK.

3. Degradation of Land

Our irresponsible use of food products has an adverse impact on the physical land itself. There are two ways in which we waste land. The land we use for producing the food, and the land we used for dumping the food.

These statistics show that we are over-stressing land for food production and if we are not mindful in the future, the ability to yield will diminish overtime as we gradually degrade the land. Not only are we disrupting our beautiful, natural landscapes, but we are also harming the biodiversity present in nature, as converting arable land into pastures will cause a loss of habitat for animals and could also severely disrupt food chains in the ecosystem.

4. Harm to Biodiversity

Biodiversity simply refers to the different species and organisms that make up an environment's ecosystem.

Agriculture in general causes harm to our biodiversity. Mono-cropping and converting our wild lands into pastures and suitable agricultural terrains is a common practice where there is an increase in demand for the production of livestock.

Deforestation and conversion of our natural lands into non-arable land destroys the natural flora and fauna present, and in some cases, to the point of their extinction.

Marine life has also been recorded decreasing in population, with the large quantities of fish being caught causing the decimation of our marine ecosystems . The average annual increase in global fish consumption is reportedly outpacing population growth, yet at the same time, places like Europe are discarding 40-60% of fish because they do not meet supermarket quality standards. As the world continues to overexploit and depleting fish stocks, we are creating a severe disruption to the marine ecosystems and food chains, as well as threatening aquatic food security.
You might also like: The Remarkable Benefits of Biodiversity
What's Next?

As with every other current issue posed against the environment, a global effort needs to be achieved in order to tackle the problem of food waste. Farmers, individual consumers, commercial businesses, governments, NGOs and the private sector all need to play their part and work together to fight this issue.

Consumer re-education has to be broadened, investment into waste treatment infrastructure needs to be made, food collection methods in line with redistribution have to be discussed, waste diversion systems need to be created for the commercial and retail sector, and further research as to the best ways to recycle and reuse the food waste that cannot be consumed have to be carried out.
You might also like: Solutions for Food Waste
More research and effort into developing food harvesting techniques, storing processes and redistribution processes are needed to be invested in. Steps need to be taken to ensure that food waste from oversupplying should be redistributed and diverted to people who need it the most.

Food that is unfit for human consumption needs to be recycled. It can be used for feeding livestock in the food production process, or even used as home compost in the home of consumers.

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How Does Food Waste Affect the Environment? | Earth.Org

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From wasting natural resources and exacerbating food insecurity, how does food waste affect the environment? Read on to find out.

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MSC reveals that US consumers are altering their diets for environmental reasons, as climate change continues to affect people around the world.

A new study has revealed that US consumers are changing their diets because of environmental concerns.

The findings revealed that 31 percent of global respondents who said they changed their diet in the past two years did so for a variety of environmental reasons. These reasons include to eat more sustainably sourced food (17 percent), to reduce climate change impact (11 percent), and to protect oceans (nine percent).

The report was conducted by independent insights consultancy GlobeScan for the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). It highlighted that California had the highest number of consumers reporting changing their diets for environmental reasons at 40 percent. The Pacific Northwesterners came a close second at 39 percent.

As well as environmental issues, New Food has recently reported on consumer concerns around rising food costs due to inflation. Specifically, in the US, the price of groceries has increased by 13.5 percent, according to the Consumer Price Index. However, there are no signs of this pressure easing as there is up to a four percent further increase expected by December 2022 for food-at-home prices.

"Today's consumers are challenged by what may seem like competing priorities - shopping to decrease impact on the environment, purchasing healthy options and staying on budget," said Nicole Condon, US Program Director for the MSC.

To aid consumers in their pursuit for sustainable food, the MSC has highlighted the benefits of- eating seafood. A recent Oceana report revealed that seafood harvesting produces less carbon than the production of meat. For this reason, seafood may be a good option for those who want to make a positive environmental impact even when shopping on a budget.

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Why are US consumers changing their grocery shopping habits?

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MSC reveals that US consumers are altering their diets for environmental reasons, as climate change continues to affect people around the world. A new study has revealed that US consumers are changing their diets because of environmental concerns.

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Watch the video to see how you design and decorate your poster.
TIME MANAGEMENT SKILLS: Remember, the most important is the content, so use your time well and prioritise the information you want to explain to others before focussing on the decoration.

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HOW TO MAKE A POSTER FOR SCHOOL PROJECT 💥 ⚡  CREATIVE POSTER PRESENTATION IDEAS

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Food waste in Europe

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The central goal of EU food safety policy is to protect both human and animal health. We cannot compromise on these standards but, in co-operation…

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Ending world hunger is one of the greatest challenges of our times. Across the globe, up to 783 million people do not have enough food and more than 40 million people in 51 countries are at ‘emergency’ or worse levels of hunger. Parts of Yemen, South Sudan, Ethiopia and Nigeria may be

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What is Food Insecurity? | Feeding America

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Hunger affects millions of people in America. Learn about the root causes of food insecurity and hunger in America and it's impacts.

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Record 9.3m face hunger and hardship in UK - anti-poverty charity

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This is one million more than five years ago, Trussell said in a new report.

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It's Not What You Think

Ending hunger isn't about supply. The world produces enough food to feed everyone on the planet. The problem is access and availability, both of which are disrupted by things like extreme weather, food waste, one's gender and - worst of all - conflict.

Today, the world's hungriest people are facing the coronavirus pandemic on top of all this.

Ending hunger is the greatest challenge of our time, but together it's solvable.

The Biggest Drivers of Hunger

Conflict

Conflict is the #1 driver of hunger in the world, and it's entirely preventable. It uproots families, destroys economies, ruins infrastructure and halts agricultural production.

Photo: AP/CARE/Josh Estey

Extreme Weather

Climate change is one of the leading causes of global hunger, causing more frequent and intense extreme weather events. Over 80% of the world's hungry people live in disaster-prone countries.

Women & Hunger

In nearly two-thirds of countries around the world, women are more likely than men to suffer from hunger and malnourishment. That's because in many cases, women eat last and least.

Photo: WFP/Will Baxter

Food Waste

Nearly one-third of all the food produced globally each year is lost or wasted. If we could recover all the food we waste, we could feed every hungry person on the planet twice over.

covid-19 pandemic

New data shows the novel coronavirus has doubled the number of hungry people worldwide. Its impact on supply chains, humanitarian access, the global economy and food supplies threatens to push 20 countries into famine or famine-like conditions. For 30 million of these people, WFP is quite literally their only source of food. Without it, they face starvation.

Extreme Poverty

Half the world's population lives on less $5.50 a day. Poverty is often at the heart of hunger - it's brought on or made worse by drivers like conflict and natural disasters. When people can't afford the food their families need, it limits their children's physical and emotional development and perpetuates the cycle of hunger and poverty.

Here's What We're Doing About It

Hunger and malnutrition are part of an ongoing cycle, as both a cause and effect of many other factors too, like inequality and lack of education.

These factors are within our power to change.
That's why hunger is also the world's most solvable problem.

Take Action

Use your social media influence as a platform to raise awareness for ending world hunger.

@wfpusa on IG

Send an email to your representative in Congress to advocate on behalf of the hungry.

Write to Congress

You pick the topic, and for every correct answer 10 grains of rice are donated to change lives around the world!

Take the Global Hunger Quiz

How much do you know about the causes of global hunger? Let's find out! The answers may surprise you.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
6 Causes of World Hunger - Why There is Global Food Insecurity

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
It's Not What You Think Ending hunger isn't about supply. The world produces enough food to feed everyone on the planet. The problem is access and availability, both of which are disrupted by things like extreme weather, food waste, one's gender and - worst of all - conflict.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
It's Not What You Think

Ending hunger isn't about supply. The world produces enough food to feed everyone on the planet. The problem is access and availability, both of which are disrupted by things like extreme weather, food waste, one's gender and - worst of all - conflict.

Today, the world's hungriest people are facing the coronavirus pandemic on top of all this.

Ending hunger is the greatest challenge of our time, but together it's solvable.

The Biggest Drivers of Hunger

Conflict

Conflict is the #1 driver of hunger in the world, and it's entirely preventable. It uproots families, destroys economies, ruins infrastructure and halts agricultural production.

Photo: AP/CARE/Josh Estey

Extreme Weather

Climate change is one of the leading causes of global hunger, causing more frequent and intense extreme weather events. Over 80% of the world's hungry people live in disaster-prone countries.

Women & Hunger

In nearly two-thirds of countries around the world, women are more likely than men to suffer from hunger and malnourishment. That's because in many cases, women eat last and least.

Photo: WFP/Will Baxter

Food Waste

Nearly one-third of all the food produced globally each year is lost or wasted. If we could recover all the food we waste, we could feed every hungry person on the planet twice over.

covid-19 pandemic

New data shows the novel coronavirus has doubled the number of hungry people worldwide. Its impact on supply chains, humanitarian access, the global economy and food supplies threatens to push 20 countries into famine or famine-like conditions. For 30 million of these people, WFP is quite literally their only source of food. Without it, they face starvation.

Extreme Poverty

Half the world's population lives on less $5.50 a day. Poverty is often at the heart of hunger - it's brought on or made worse by drivers like conflict and natural disasters. When people can't afford the food their families need, it limits their children's physical and emotional development and perpetuates the cycle of hunger and poverty.

Here's What We're Doing About It

Hunger and malnutrition are part of an ongoing cycle, as both a cause and effect of many other factors too, like inequality and lack of education.

These factors are within our power to change.
That's why hunger is also the world's most solvable problem.

Take Action

Use your social media influence as a platform to raise awareness for ending world hunger.

@wfpusa on IG

Send an email to your representative in Congress to advocate on behalf of the hungry.

Write to Congress

You pick the topic, and for every correct answer 10 grains of rice are donated to change lives around the world!

Take the Global Hunger Quiz

How much do you know about the causes of global hunger? Let's find out! The answers may surprise you.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
6 Causes of World Hunger - Why There is Global Food Insecurity

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
It's Not What You Think Ending hunger isn't about supply. The world produces enough food to feed everyone on the planet. The problem is access and availability, both of which are disrupted by things like extreme weather, food waste, one's gender and - worst of all - conflict.