World Environment Day (5th June) …..Think…..Eat…..Save

Global environmental concerns such as climate change and sustainability there is a drive for the celebration of the world environment day to create awareness on these issues. According to the UN Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), about 1.3 billion tons of food is lost or wasted annually in the supply chain starting from agricultural production until it gets to the final consumers plate for eating. This is equivalent to the quantity of food produced in the sub Saharan region causing a drain in the natural resources and negative environmental impacts. The emphasis on food waste refers to the significant amount of food suitable for human consumption that is lost in the cycle mostly by high or medium income countries at consumer level with lesser quantities lost in the low income countries in the supply chain. The main focus is to influence consumer behavior of medium and high income nations and improve the infrastructure and technological limitations of low-income countries. The purpose is to reduce food waste and promote sustainable food supply chain.

 

When food is wasted, the resources or foodprint from production to consumption is lost therefore the resulting environmental impacts such as greenhouse gas emissions during the supply chain cycle is already deployed without any result or product and there is biodiversity loss. The call is for individuals to select food based on environmental criteria such as those with little or no negative environmental impacts and opt for purchasing of locally produced food as opposed to buying imported food. The irony of it all is that globally large quantity of food is wasted everyday whist a lot of people are living on less than one dollar a day. These resources can be channelled towards feeding people and preventing starvation.

Mongolia the host country for this year’s World Environment Day has been affected by Climate change therefore is promoting a Green Economy by creating environmental awareness. With food security and water shortage as the major challenges, it is vital that there is a focus on reducing foodprint to ensure that sustainable production is promoted.

What activity are you using to commemorate this sustainable consumption event? Countries, government, non-governmental organizations, private sector and individuals are coming together in Mongolia today to discuss global environmental concerns but reducing our foodprint starts with individual responsibilities. This year’s campaign encourages you to take action from your home and then join in collective goal to reduce food waste, save money, minimise the environmental impact of food production and promote more efficient food production processes.

Therefore, Think of sustainable sources of food as you Eat and Save the leftovers or eliminate food waste by reducing your foodprint to protect our environment. Adopt a sustainable food consumption lifestyle by promoting creative means of production, consumption and disposal.

Written by O’ Reese on behalf of En-pact Solutions Limited, 2013

Twitter: @O Reese2.

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