Due to advances in agriculture and food production, the amount of food available for consumption exceeds our food requirement. While food surplus is a great accomplishment, it is also leading to food waste worldwide. The reasons for such a waste range from increased productivity and perfectionism, and the government can take steps to prevent it from becoming adverse.
The primary reason why a large amount of food ends up in landfills is that our production power has improved due to science and technology. The development of genetics, for instance, has allowed us to create new strains of agricultural plants that produce more yields or are resilient for extreme conditions. Furthermore, scientific advances has enabled us to combat plant diseases that used to lead massive crop failures by means of new chemicals or genetic modification. Finally, given we have better agricultural equipment, farmers are able to achieve substantial harvests although they have limited land resources. Drip irrigation is an example of a technique that has significantly boosted crop yields, thus enhancing our production capacity.
Food production has also transformed into a massive industry, producing millions of food items in many different forms. The introduction of factories has made it possible to produce food surplus, resulting in many food manufacturers stocking their products in massive storages or refregirated facilities. Competitive nature of food industry has also led to diversification of similar food items, which means now the consumers choose products based on the packaging or colour. This has resulted in millions of tonnes of food items remaining in storages before they reach consumers. Finally, supermarkets prioritize perfect looking products to attract peaky consumers, resulting in food items with slight damages to their packaging being disposed of.
To solve this issue, the government should introduce measures in each stage of food manufacturing, making sure the amount of food produced is controlled with minimum waste possible. Firstly, an incentive system for farmers who avoid food waste is a powerful stimulation. A similar measure can be implemented with food manufacturing companies, or supermarkets. Alternatively, authorities need to implement punishment system or taxation on wasting food, to send a message to the companies that their food waste can translate into economic loss.
On a consumer level, the optimal solution could be the introduction of regionwide food recycling systems endorsed by local aid organizations. While food waste occurs in abundant parts of the world, starvation remains a pressing issue in other regions. If humanitarian organizations direct excessive food items to those areas where food is scarce, wastage could be significantly reduced. Moreover, livestock farmers can also be involved in the frame of this cycle. While many people are reluctant to consume imperfect food products, these may be a valuable material for cattles and other domestic animals.
In conclusion, the reasons why we throw away massive amounts of food globally. However, there are a few measures that the government can implement to reduce our food waste.