“Practice your English” Forum

Is Food Waste a Scandal?

Is Food Waste a Scandal?

by Iya OLS Community Manager -
Number of replies: 4

Hi friends,

What do you see in this picture?

Do you see food that you can eat? Meaning, is there anything here that is still in good condition for humans to eat? If so, why is this food in the dumpster?

Fruits and vegetables in perfectly good condition in a dumpster.

Today's discussion is inspired by the VET module, I'm an Environmental Advisor. If you haven't completed it yet, please do and then join us for this discussion. Although, if you find that you already have some thoughts and experience with this subject, feel free to jump right in to the conversation!


A FEW STATISTICS ABOUT FOOD WASTE AND ITS IMPACT

According to the European Parliament, "88 million tonnes of food are wasted in the EU every year, equivalent to 173 kilos per person. Not only is this a waste of resources, it also contributes to climate change. About 793 million people in the world are malnourished. According to Eurostat, 55 million people (9.6% of the EU's population), were unable to afford a quality meal every second day in 2014."

WOW! That's a lot of waste and a lot of hungry people, right? What do you think about that? If there are so many hungry people on the planet, why do we have so much wasted food?


THE SCANDAL

Now, let's look at a video of Tristam Stuart's Ted Talk in which he talks about his why global food waste is a scandal.


Again, WOW! Astonishing, right?! Do you agree with Tristam? Is food waste a scandal? Explain why or why not.

Here are three quick listening comprehension questions based on Tristam's video:
1. How many slices of fresh bread leave the factory daily?
2. Why were the bananas discarded at the banana plantation in Ecuador?
3. How many grains of rice were left in Tristam's bowl when he was in China? :)

SOLUTIONS?
Is it too late? Is the problem of food waste too big to stop? Or do you think we have some solutions to try? If so, what are some of your solutions to the food waste crisis? Do you do anything at home to reduce food waste? Or maybe you've noticed some activities in your host country to diminish food waste. If so, share with us. If you want to add a photo to your reply, check out this tutorial.

Iya




In reply to Iya OLS Community Manager

Re: Is Food Waste a Scandal?

by Süleyman YILMAZ -
Answer 1: 13,000 slices of fresh bread coming out of this one single factory every single day.
Answer 2: Just because they're the wrong shape or size
Answer 3: Three grains of rice

There are solutions to the food waste crisis including improving production practices, increasing food donations, promoting food recovery, composting and educating consumers. In Turkey, there are initiatives such as the "Zero Waste" campaign and organizations like "Save Your Food, Save a Life" to reduce food waste. At home, meal planning, proper storage and using leftovers creatively can help reduce food waste.
In reply to Süleyman YILMAZ

Re: Is Food Waste a Scandal?

by Iya OLS Community Manager -
Well done, SÜLEYMAN!

You got all three questions right. :)

Thank you for sharing your thoughts about food waste and especially for giving solutions to what can be done at home.

I did some research to find out more about Turkey's efforts regarding educating its citizens, and I have to say, I'm incredibly impressed and inspired! For those in our community wishing to learn more, please check out these two links:

“Save Your Food” campaign offers guidance on reducing food waste in the hospitality sector.

and

Food loss and waste reduction campaign of FAO and Turkey takes off.

I look forward to seeing what else you, or other members of our community, will share on this very important topic.

Iya
In reply to Iya OLS Community Manager

Re: Is Food Waste a Scandal?

by Süleyman YILMAZ -
Hii^^
Thank you for your response!
I took a look at the links you sent me and as a citizen of this world, I'm pretty glad that we're making progress. I hope we can make significant improvements on how to make consumption consciously for our future generations. And thank you for your kindness <3
With warmest regards,

Süleyman
In reply to Süleyman YILMAZ

Re: Is Food Waste a Scandal?

by Iya OLS Community Manager -
You're very welcome! Thanks to you, we now know about Turkey's efforts to educate and reduce food waste.

Perhaps others in our community will feel inspired to share how their home countries are responding to the issue.

Wishing you a great day, fellow citizen of the world!
Iya