Do you think your family wastes too much food?
Polls
4th October 2019
WHEN you walk through your local supermarket, it’s hard to imagine anyone going hungry in 2019. But the latest figures show that things have been getting worse for the last three years, and 820 million people in the world are going hungry. An extra 1.2 billion people experience some form of food insecurity, which means they don’t have regular access to enough food that’s nutritious and safe to eat.
Since 11% of the world’s people are hungry, that must mean there isn’t enough food to go around, right? Wrong! In the UK alone, households throw away five million tonnes of perfectly edible food every year. Another 1.9m tonnes is wasted by the food industry, from farmers to manufacturers, supermarkets and restaurants.
Globally, we waste around a third of the food we produce, at a cost of nearly
$1 trillion (£800 billion) every year. But, even then, obesity is also on the rise in almost every country, contributing to four million deaths every year.
“There’s more than enough food in the world,” says Compassion in World Farming’s Philip Lymbery. “We produce enough food worldwide to feed 16bn people – far more food than we could ever need. (There are fewer than 8bn people on Earth.) What we’re doing with it is wasting it. Part of that waste is in our homes and our supermarkets and also letting it rot in fields. But the biggest portion of food waste on the planet is feeding human-edible crops like cereals and soya to factory-farmed animals.”
In 2016, countries signed up to the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals, which aim to end poverty, tackle climate change and reduce inequality by 2030. One of the goals is to reach ‘zero hunger’. Lots of businesses are making important changes too, and lots of UK companies, including all the big supermarkets, have pledged to halve their food waste by 2030. Many donate tonnes of goods to food banks and charities.
22 Comments
snufflypug · 5 years ago
I have my dad😀
irock122 · 5 years ago
I think that my family wastes a bit of food, as sometimes we don’t eat all our food and just throw it away. I’m sure we aren’t the only people who are guilty though! The world needs to start being more grateful for our tasty and healthy food!
battboy321 · 5 years ago
my family are never finishing food
rainlover · 5 years ago
Yes we wast so much food especially fruit and veg but we freeze meals to heat up for another day
ameliau · 5 years ago
I think my family wastes a lot of food, because nearly every dinner time we leave something on our plates or in the dishes themselves. Anyway, I think my family can cut back on wasting food by eating out at Restraunts or pubs a bit more. Also the chef- who is either my Mum or Grandad- should maybe make something everybody will like and not to give them to much on their plate at once. Even though, I am the least fussiest person in my family and I would eat pretty much anything which is on my plate. Except if it is dead insects or bugs because I find that disgusting. #FIRST TO COMMENT. # MY FAMILY SHOULD CUT DOWN ON WASTING FOOD
lottielove · 5 years ago
FIRST TO COMMENT! Anyways, my family does waste quite a bit of food but I think it's better to cook more than you need then accidentally not cooking enough because,
1. You would need to cook a WHOLE round of food again and use your oven (WASTING ELECTRICITY!)
2. It could take a LONG time to cook a WHOLE round of food again depending on what you made for your meal and,
3. You might not eat enough food!!!
Although... you could be wasting food and killing animals for meat and not eating it!!!
:(
I don't know what to say about this one guys.
thehkh · 5 years ago
My family is very careful with the food we buy. We very rarely have to throw food away.
lilpenguin · 5 years ago
Yes but its mostly me
heh · 5 years ago
At school this week, we are allowed to wear non-uniform if we bring in some food to give to charities who support people without enough. I think this is a really good idea, as not only are you donating food, you are entertaining the pupils. I do not know if other people do this, but if you don't, you should. It is environmentally friendly
asbml · 5 years ago
My family rarely throw any food away unless the food is mouldy or dangerous to eat any more.
safaripig · 5 years ago
My sister never eats all of her breakfast. She always has a bit and then leaves the table.
beanies · 5 years ago
We use all our food and make soup with left over veg and freeze what left i help my mum
junior19 · 5 years ago
Middle
squish123 · 5 years ago
I don't think we waste too much food because my brother eats everything that remains.
fishgirl2 · 5 years ago
Yes at the moment we waste to much food I think.
5honypony · 5 years ago
Sometimes we throw food, if it is off, however recently, we have purchased a compost bin, which helps reduce our wastage
puppy2143 · 5 years ago
we leave a little bit of food. Depends what the food is
ponygirl08 · 5 years ago
My Family is very picky when it comes to food. Most of the time we get food and either don't like it and chuck it away, or just simply don't want it anymore and chuck it away.
sciencycat · 5 years ago
I don't think our family wastes too much food its just the things at the back of the fridge that we forget about, then it goes out of date
safisuh · 5 years ago
Yes because we're a big family and one of us is a fussy eater 🙂
wireskid · 5 years ago
I'm in the middle.
katkid10 · 5 years ago
My Dad would make lots of food and the next day we would have the leftovers. Sometimes I can't swallow, but I give it to my sister.