Better Eating

As the world’s leftovers pile up, food wastage silently eats away at our future, generating 4.4 gigatons of gas emissions across the planet each year. This urges us to re-evaluate our consumption habits and recognise food as a valuable resource.

Each year, the global food industry generates around 18 million tonnes of carbon dioxide, greatly contributing to climate change. Letting meals go to waste also squanders the resources used for processing and transporting food.

The average household throws away around 11% of their consumable food in a year – making private households the biggest contributors to global food waste, accounting for 1/3 of the annual total. Our house practices make a huge impact on the world, so we must all make a conscious effort to be better, starting with our attitude towards food.

By switching to organic produce, you can reduce emissions from synthetic fertilisers; produce less runoff, reducing harm to aquatic ecosystems and enrich soils with carbon from the atmosphere.

Learning about ingredients and food sources makes a big difference. Here are a few tips to help you become more conscious:

• Buy locally grown products for less miles
• Incorporate plant-based meals into your diet
• Skip processed foods with additional additives
• Buy grass-fed or pasture-raised meats

To reduce the effects of food wastage, we must understand that our individual habits make up a greater whole. Handling our food responsibly creates a chain effect that saves about a third of the world’s global food supply, which could reach those in need rather than being disposed of.