Food waste refers to the reduction in the quantity or quality of food due to the decisions and actions of food service providers and consumers.

When we look at developed countries, approximately 1.3 billion tons, or one-third, of the food produced every year is wasted. It is reported that 30% of grains, 40–50% of vegetables and fruits, 20% of oilseeds, and 30% of meat and dairy products are wasted annually. However, it is stated that if food waste around the world is reduced by only 25%, the annual nutritional needs of 870 million people can be met.

Due to the unbalanced distribution of resources and climate change, not everyone has equal access to food. Despite this, there is also a lot of waste in the world. Food waste not only endangers food supply security but also increases greenhouse gas emissions. It also causes unnecessary use of water, energy, fertilizer, and agricultural land.

Reducing food waste: In order to reduce food waste on a global scale, what needs to be done at every stage from the production and supply chain to the consumer are as follows:

Agricultural production: Thanks to good agricultural production practices, food spoilage can be prevented in the first stage of production; Protection can be provided against external factors such as harmful insects, viruses, bacteria and mold.

Preservation and storage solutions: Improving the storage conditions of food is very effective in preventing waste. For this reason, foods can be stored in airtight containers.

Technical solutions in transportation and packaging: Food transportation and packaging solutions can be preferred depending on the region. For example, in hot regions, technologies that provide storage by cooling must be used.

Purchasing: Food losses and waste may occur due to reasons such as not determining the purchasing purpose well and not doing it effectively, or purchasing more food than needed.

Food Production and Service: Food must be processed properly and carefully, and waste generated during preparation must be evaluated.

Household solutions: It is necessary to raise awareness of family members about food waste.

Food banks: The activities of food banks that store surplus food should be increased.

Strategies to Reduce Food Waste:

Shop Planned and Enough: Not going grocery shopping on an empty stomach and planning the weekly menu as much as possible are simple solutions that will save us from buying products we don’t need and from wasting money.

Position your refrigerator correctly: Place your vegetables and fruits correctly in your refrigerator to preserve their freshness.

Love your freezer: Put any leftover food, vegetables, and fruit that you don’t use in the freezer and freeze it.

Use All Vegetables and Fruits from Root to Tip: Use all parts of your well-washed vegetables and fruits, from their peels to their stems.

Ferment Leftover Vegetables: It is possible to ferment any vegetables and fruits left in your fridge that you cannot consume and store them as pickles or vinegar for a very long time.

Make Jam from Ripe Fruits: Boil ripe fruits with a little sugar and make jam.

Create New Recipes from Leftovers on the Cupboard: Go beyond the formulaic recipes and use and evaluate the ingredients as you wish.