Let's not start by invoking emotion and how many people in 2022 are starving to death or must travel miles, work hours, and even sell their own bodies for a portion of food. It is a fact that over-consumerism "hits" the food and it is not a few times that our table is filled with more portions of food that later at least 20% of them go to the trash.

The debate on food waste has begun to become more and more intense worldwide - and not by chance. According to the definition of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the term "food waste" means all edible products, which are intended for human consumption and, instead, are discarded, lost, degraded, or consumed by parasites. Over the years the term has been extended to other fields, including the food of farm animals, by-products of the food industry and waste, which is created by human overfeeding.

One in seven people worldwide is on the verge of starvation while 1/3 of the food is discarded without being eaten.

To be able to understand the extent of the waste, which is related to the food thrown away annually, it is enough to think that according to the European Commission, around 88 000 000 tons of food are discarded without being eaten every year in Europe. This waste, in addition to the enormous moral burden it carries, also entails a financial cost of 145 billion euros! According to the report, the largest waste of 53 % is done by households, which are responsible for discarding around 47 million tons of food a year. In Greece, at least 30.1% of all food, which is discarded by households, is avoidable and concerns cooked food, fruits and vegetables, dairy products, and bread.

Food waste is not only a moral or economic issue but, obviously, it also affects the environment since it is directly related to the depletion of the planet's natural resources and the unnecessary killing of animals for customs worldwide.
But what is it that ultimately pushes us into such a trivial waste? What prevents us from seeing the bigger picture and changing our perspective and thinking? Fortunately for us, we live in an age in which access to information is very easy, if you look for it. Under no circumstances, however, should we ignore our own responsibility, and we should act as conscious beings, towards the environment and the planet.

What are the causes that a food is considered unsuitable of?
• Incorrect or non-existent food market planning for the household
• Spontaneous purchase of food, thanks to promotional activities (1+1 gift)
• Problems in understanding the expiration date of products
• Standard portion sizes in dining areas
• Difficulty predicting customers in restaurants
• Difficulty in managing stocks in supermarkets
• High quality standards - for example the image of the product in relation to taste
• Overproduction or lack of demand for specific products at certain times of the year
• Inefficient storage during storage or transport at the different stages of the food supply chain

What are some solutions to reduce our food waste?
• The organization of the supermarket and the purchase of food for specific members and days
• The proper storage and preservation of food / vegetables / fruits
• The consumption of seasonal products (mainly for grocery stores)
• The utilization of natural waste (such as peels) as fertilizer for plants
• A more prudent consumption of food in restaurants

Plenty Food for thought and how we can change from a small habit to a whole world,

Elena V.