Each year, an estimated one third of all food produced, an astounding 1.3 billion tonnes, ends up in bins and landfill sites, or is lost due to inadequate pre and post harvest techniques or poor transportation practices. With figures like this, it would appear that, when it comes to food, the amount we have is surplus to our requirements. Yet, the picture of poverty and scarcity that we know exists around the world tells a completely different story. Currently, 1 in 8 people go to bed hungry every night and undernutrition is a contributing factor in more than 2.5 million deaths of children under five each year – one third of the global total.
With the population of the world forecast to reach 10 billion by 2050, the number of people living in the world’s poorest nations looks set to triple, which, with the current state of food insecurity, spells an ominous future. As the video below from the World Wildlife Fund shows, we clearly need to change the way we think about food.
This article was adapted from The Urban Times. Written by Angela Yusuff.
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