Parki Ar Minda: What is Food Waste and why should we pay attention to it?
Most of us have thrown out stale food or bread that has been left in the refrigerator for too long. But, any product thrown away (or flushed into the toilet!) is considered “food waste”. Food waste is “food that has been thrown away” by a family or restaurant, or a store. Food production requires land, water, energy and human labor. Modern large-scale farming has led to the destruction of forests, erosion of soil, and damage to biodiversity and wildlife. By throwing away food, we waste all these resources.
Around 40% of the waste produced by Georgia is organic. This includes green waste (for example, grass, leaves and cardboard), brown waste (e.g., coffee spills, tea waste, cardboard) and food waste.
Imagine that one third of the food produced for human consumption in the world is wasted or thrown away! This fact shows the magnitude of the problem, and the urgency to solve it.
Food waste can be a problem for a number of reasons
Food waste that is thrown in landfills rots, releasing greenhouse gases. These gases are one of the main causes of global warming. Imagine that the food waste in the world is the third largest source for emissions, after the United States of America and China.
Food shortages affect 800 million people worldwide, including 650,000 people living in Georgia.
The Parki Ar Minda Campaign
Parki Ar Minda has been focusing on waste management for a long time. We are always looking at ways to reduce and recycle waste. Our efforts have been primarily focused on solid waste (e.g. plastic, paper, and glass). We always felt that we were ignoring something important.
We have launched a campaign to reduce food wastage and increase access to food. The project is implemented with financial support from the European Union, the Czech Development Agency and our excellent partners, People in Need, Georgian Red Cross, and Eliot Steinebiliti.
We will continue to discuss food waste, and how important it is to reduce it. However, we also offer a variety helpful ideas and actions that you can easily incorporate into your daily life.
Food waste is the same thing as throwing money away! Let’s be more aware of food waste. Join our campaign to be a positive force in the world! Find out more on fb.com/parkiarminda.ge
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This text was written with the support of European Union. People in Need accepts full responsibility for the content of this text and acknowledges that it does not necessarily reflect the views of the EU.
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