Reducing Food Wastage: Infrastructure, Consumer Behavior, and Climate Change Mitigation
Overview
This paper examines the global problem of food wastage and its contribution to climate change, arguing that approximately one-third of food does not reach the market. The author distinguishes between food waste in low-income regions, caused by poor infrastructure and storage facilities, and intentional waste in affluent areas due to overconsumption. The paper proposes infrastructural improvements and public education as solutions to mitigate food wastage and its environmental impact.
What this essay covers
- Introduction to food wastage statistics and climate impact (4.4 gigatons CO2 emissions)
- Analysis of food wastage causes in low-income versus high-income regions
- Environmental consequences of food waste and greenhouse gas emissions
- Policy recommendations including infrastructure improvement and citizen education
- Works cited with mixed citation formatting
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Name
Course
Jun.10th
Reducing food wastage
Statistics show that about a third of both processed and raw food does not make it to the market, causing climate change through the emission of gases and wastes to the environment. An article Top 10 Solutions to Fight Climate Change, (2020) states that food waste contribute up to 4.4 gigatons of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, which is approximately 8 percent of total gas polluting the atmosphere. In most places where many people are poor and earn poorly, infrastructure, storage facilities as well as packing is poor. It leads to early wastage of food in the food chain. Poor roads delay processed goods to reach the market while low income leads to products staying too long in the stores before selling them off leading wastage. It is the situation in underdeveloped regions. As opposed to areas with low income where food wastage is by mistake and regretted, food wastage in places of rich income is willful. The rich store too much that they might be forced to waste because food goes bad. Expensive food products will not be bought, and low-profit product will similarly rot in the fields. Gases which are poisonous to the environment, including carbon dioxide and methane, are released by the wasted food, thus contributing to climate change.
Policies that promote discourage food wastage should, therefore, be adopted to help keep climate favourable for human, animal and plant survival. Food wastage should be dealt with before it happens.