Food wastage contributes to a higher demand for food, which then results in higher global food prices. This makes food more expensive for the poor and malnourished people all around the world. In addition, the amount of food wasted yearly could also prevent deaths caused by malnutrition and starvation. Director General of the FAO, José Graziano da Silva, commented that food thrown away by solely by consumers and the retail industry in the developed countries is enough to provide for the entire world’s hungry people.
Today, so many people around the world face hunger because of unequal distribution of food, and not because we are producing too little to feed everyone. 870 million people are facing hunger today, while one billion people are consuming too much. Although hunger and overconsumption are exact opposites and seemingly incongruent, they typify food in numerous countries today.
Credit: Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security