Humans waste a lot of food. Trust me, it's way worse than you could imagine and the consequences of food waste have lasting effects. About one-third of all food produced worldwide, worth around (US)$1 trillion, is lost or wasted according to a recent report by United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Resources Institute. Every year, they say, consumers in industrialized countries waste almost as much food as the entire net food production of sub-Saharan Africa (222 million vs. 230 million tons)!!! The good news? You can help. You have the power to choose. You can decide what you grow, what you buy, what you cook, what you eat and what you waste.
EXERTING CONSCIENTIOUS OPTIONS when it comes to our eating habits MAKES A DIFFERENCE not only for our personal health, but also largely for the planet. Food consumption is a habitual action we - all 7.4 billion of us and counting - take 3 to 6 times daily. It's what sustains our energy and it directly affects the health of our body; not to mention, what we choose to eat has a serious, often permanent impact on the earth. The more people our environment must provide for, the bigger the burden on its resources (and the worse the consequences when so many lives are at stake).
This site has compelling, graphic, easy to understand information about the constantly, rapidly growing population:
http://www.worldometers.info/world-population/
What I hope this post encourages you to understand is that you have the power to make changes that can strengthen your own well-being and help the health of our world. Maybe you feel like you alone won't make much of a difference for the planet, but you're not alone. There are millions of individuals who share this environment and when many of us make the same sustainable choices, we are a powerful, instrumental force. Here are just a couple examples of the influence individuals can have when their efforts are multiplied... If everyone in the U.S. ate no meat or cheese just one day a week for a year, it would be like taking 7.6 million cars off the road, according to Environmental Working Group. Or if 150 million people (half the U.S. population) eliminated seafood from their diet then about nearly 34 billion (yes BILLION) fish would remain in the ocean every year! This is a simple math concept but
here's my source website for this stat.
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| Cuba waters teeming with life. |
Oceans are most vital to our balance of life on this beautiful blue planet, and
this is a fantastic documentary (from 2012) with amazing high def cinematography and essential information about the relationship between humans and the earth. Everyone should watch this and take its implications seriously, because whether or not we choose to be conscientious and take some personal responsibility, serious and destructive forces of human nature are constantly at work.
**Put It Into Practice**
In order to really create change, we must individually educate ourselves on what is best for our bodies as well as what eating habits support a more sustainable lifestyle so as to benefit our exponential population growth. If you have children, which most likely means at some point you will have grandchildren and eventually great-grandchildren and so on, then it is even more important (and highly necessary) to educate them on these issues so pertinent and imperative for their future. It is ideal to teach children about all aspects of food and health, as well as, help them learn to be inquisitive, innovative, and interested in seeking the truth so they know how to empower themselves with knowledge. There are many websites, books, articles, etc. dedicated to helping people make choices that are healthy and more sustainable for themselves and this planet we call ours, we just have to decide to pay attention. We can do it, spread the word!
These websites are a good start to educating yourself on the issue, though there are countless resources:
http://www.worldfooddayusa.org/food_waste_the_facts
https://www.nrdc.org/sites/default/files/wasted-food-IP.pdf
http://www.endfoodwastenow.org/index.php/resources/facts
http://www.thinkeatsave.org
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