Food wastage is a global problem that has been on the rise over the past few years, particularly with the increase of affluence in developed countries such as Singapore. Four sources of food waste have been identified, with the relative contribution of each source differing based mostly on the level of development of the country. The reasons behind food wastage can be justified by the tragedy of the commons as proposed by Garrett Hardin. Some of the impacts that food wastage brings about are then described, with more focus on the ecological factor as most of these impacts are irreversible. Finally, some solutions are proposed to inform what the average consumer can do to help this effort, as well as what is currently being done by larger entities.

The video by Channel NewsAsia attached above very nicely summarises what has been discussed in this blog, and is focused specifically to the Singapore context.

As the very eloquent J.R.R. Tolkien once said, “If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.” All we need to do is to look beyond our selfish wants, think a little bit more about others, and act on these beliefs. I believe that the problem of food wastage is not an insurmountable one. With a little sacrifice from everyone, the world can be happier, and exist a little longer, and perhaps, we may finally be able to find some peace.