The tragedy of the commons is a situation individual users, acting independently according to their own self-interest, behave contrary to the common good of the larger user pool by damaging or depleting a non-exclusive shared resource through their collective action. It was first proposed by ecologist Garret Hardin in 1968.

Food as Commons

Food is a common resource as it can be acquired by anyone who can afford it. There is no limit to how much food an individual or entity can acquire, that is, under the assumption that there are no regulating forces involved. With the current pattern of food consumption and wastage, food is clearly a commodity that is facing exploitation at human hands.

Explaining the concept of TOC in terms of wasting food

In Singapore, and the affluent side of the world, individuals and coporates here act according to their selfish interests in terms of acquiring food. For example, hotels and restaurants in Singapore serve lavish buffets with a wide spread of dishes in handsome amounts, to attract more guests to dine in their establishment so as to generate greater profit and a large support base. Consumers who attend the buffets then take as much food as they please, to satisfy their curiosity and greed for acquiring larger portions of food. Both parties do not pause to consider if the next person somewhere in the world has enough food, or how susatinable their practice is. The effects of the actions of all are cumulative.

The actions of us in Singapore and other affluent parts of the world that can afford food easily serves contrary to the common good of the world population, at the expense of everyone. Those who suffer at hand immediately in the not-so-long-term are those in the poverty-stricken and hungry parts of the world. As food is excessively acquired by the afflent side of the world, the less affluent are unable to afford food and get a fair share of food needed for survival. In the long term, should this unbridled trend of food wastage continue, it will eventually become a threat to sustainability. Food when depleted beyond levels necessary for self-regeneration, then becomes a scarce resource for all, and hunger wil hit back on all of us in the form of a world food crisis.

Before the situation becomes ireversible, action with substantial impact has to be taken to salvage the current situation.