In Berlin, farm ministers and policy makers criticized the food waste of developed countries and emphasized the importance of nutrition education programs. Every year, consumers in developed countries waste 220 million metric tons of food, while almost one billion people go hungry. These practices not only hurt those affected by hunger, but also those who over consume and, as a result, suffer from diseases such as obesity. The FAO said that at our current rate of consumption, food production would need to increase 70% by 2050 to feed the expanding population.
However, the FAO website also states that “given the limited availability of natural resources it is more effective to reduce food losses than increase food production in order to feed a growing world population.” Furthermore, according to Jose Graziano da Silva, the director general of the FAO, ensuring food security in the future will take more than simply focusing on sustainable food production. More importantly, citizens of developed countries must change their consumption practices and ways of thinking. They must adopt a new set of values, eat correctly, and waste less.
Image credit: Blog de Auma/Well HOme
Posted by: Yekaterina Fomitcheva
