{"id":15055,"date":"2021-09-29T08:23:10","date_gmt":"2021-09-28T22:23:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/library\/?p=15055"},"modified":"2025-08-27T14:29:46","modified_gmt":"2025-08-27T04:29:46","slug":"international-day-of-awareness-of-food-loss-and-waste-reduction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/library\/2021\/09\/29\/international-day-of-awareness-of-food-loss-and-waste-reduction\/","title":{"rendered":"International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste Reduction"},"content":{"rendered":"

As children many of us\u00a0come to understand food waste\u00a0when we\u00a0were\u00a0told\u00a0some version\u00a0of\u00a0\u2018children in need in far off places\u00a0would appreciate\u00a0the food we\u00a0can\u2019t or won\u2019t eat\u2019\u00a0as we stared\u00a0guiltily\u00a0down at our hated greens.\u00a0\u00a0Now\u00a0imagine our parents\u2019\u00a0surprise if we had\u00a0responded\u00a0\u2018Actually,\u00a0a\u00a0substantial amount of food loss occurs\u00a0<\/span>before<\/span><\/b>\u00a0it even gets to the shop?\u2019\u00a0The cold hard truth is\u00a0food loss and food waste are global issues with\u00a0a multitude of ramifications for people and the planet.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

According to the\u00a0<\/span>Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations<\/span><\/a>\u00a0(FAO)\u00a0<\/span>\u2018…around 14% of food produced is lost between harvest and retail, while an estimated 17 percent of total global food production is wasted (11 percent in households, 5 percent in the food service and 2 percent in retail).\u2019<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The FAO makes\u00a0a\u00a0distinction between food loss and food waste.\u00a0<\/span>Food loss<\/span><\/i>\u00a0refers to food which is lost from the harvest and during production and transportation.\u00a0<\/span>Food waste<\/span><\/i>\u00a0refers to the food that is wasted at a retail or consumer level.\u00a0A huge number of resources are expended to bring our food from the farm to the table, and\u00a0when\u00a0produce is lost or wasted along the food supply chain,\u00a0it means\u00a0a portion of those resources have\u00a0also been wasted.\u00a0It is\u00a0also\u00a0worth considering that the\u00a0land, water,\u00a0energy\u00a0and packaging\u00a0used in food production, along with wasted food that is sent to landfill,\u00a0all\u00a0have a vast environmental impact.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

29 September is the\u00a0<\/span>International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste<\/span><\/a>\u00a0(IDAFLW). First observed in 2020, the day calls on societies and individuals to \u2018transform and rebalance the way our food is produced and consumed\u2019.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

While\u00a0the magnitude of\u00a0<\/span>food loss<\/span><\/i>\u00a0is something which\u00a0we\u00a0need\u00a0to\u00a0tackle\u00a0at an industrial level\u00a0with\u00a0governments, farmers,\u00a0manufacturers\u00a0distributors\u00a0and researchers\u00a0working together to\u00a0reduce systematic loss and\u00a0environmental\u00a0abuse\u00a0along the food supply chain,\u00a0as\u00a0individuals we can\u00a0contribute to\u00a0reducing\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>food\u00a0waste<\/span><\/i>\u00a0through\u00a0some simple and straightforward\u00a0actions\u00a0such\u00a0as:\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n