Eliminating waste could end world hunger and ease CO2 emissions

THE food wasted in France could feed the under-nourished in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the amount discarded in Italy could put an end to hunger in Ethiopia, according to a new report on the ethics of modern development in agricultural technologies.

Likewise, the British Government’s waste agency (WRAP) estimates that a third of all food bought in Britain is thrown away and that the amount of greenhouse gases used to produce and transport this wasted food is the equivalent of the pollution from 20% of the British car fleet.

European agriculture and rural development commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel, writing in her internet blog, said putting a stop to wasting food would not only raise food availability but also have a huge impact on CO2 emissions.

“By halving European food waste, we could in fact curb food-related greenhouse gas emissions by 25%,” she said.

“We need improved farming techniques and technologies to meet this challenge without putting strain on the environment.

“However, the first step is to stop throwing away what is already on our plate. Many people have already understood the positive effects that saving energy has — both on electricity bills and on our greenhouse gas emissions. Food is no different,” she said.

Ms Fischer Boel said as far as she can see, there are two big causes for food waste that could easily be removed.

Firstly, lots can be done at retail level in terms of providing the right packaging. Around a third of the European population lives in single-person households.

“But if we go to the supermarket, most things are packed for families of four.

“However, the main responsibility lies with consumers. We have to look at our own habits. Why do we cook more than we can eat? Why do we buy three chickens for the price of two, when we actually only need one?

“Why have we forgotten the good housekeeping wisdom of previous generations who knew how to cook a meal from leftovers?”

Organic material could be used as compost for the garden; but even better, it could be separated and used for bio-gas and other types of bio-energy, she said.