“You can’t escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today.” – Abraham Lincoln
As the world wakes up to the seismic social, environmental, and moral issues at hand, the concern of food wastage is resonating around the globe. From governments to non-profit organisations, from restaurateurs to researchers, the cause of food waste is gaining momentum, and the solutions are aplenty – from law implementations to awareness campaigns.
In 2015, the United States of America set a goal to reduce food waste by a noteworthy 50 percent by the year 2030. The European Union, Australia, and Norway followed suit. Denmark pioneered the fight in 2016 with a subsidy scheme and Dubai joined hands with Winnow to combat the issue with technology. Awareness campaigns such as Save The Food further amplified the impact. A collaboration between the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Ad Council in America, Save The Food showcases the grave condition of food wastage in today’s world through TV spots, billboard ads, and social media videos.
[masterslider id=”2″]
Taking charge along with government institutions, restaurateurs and chefs are pushing the envelope to bring about a change. In March 2015, Blue Hill Co-owner and Chef, Dan Barber turned the perception of food waste on its head in the community that dons chef whites with wastED. A three-week long pop-up celebrating “the ‘waste’ that occurs at every link in the food chain”, the maestro brought to limelight the ingredients “ignored or un-coveted.” In 2016, three-Michelin starred chef, Massimo Bottura, along with David Hertz and Ale Forbes, took on the challenge of inspiring social inclusion and igniting the inclination for change towards the approach to food waste. Transforming the excess food from Olympics, Chef Bottura brought to life Refettorio Gastromotiva, creating supper for the homeless. A strong advocate of sustainable eating, Chef Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution is also reforming food education. From school lunch programs to kitchen garden programs, the veteran chef is taking the cause against food wastage a notch higher.
The wave of standalone restaurants sweeping the world is further championing the cause by eliminating the problem at its root. Running four separate kitchens in the capital city, Rustom’s Parsi Bhonu Co-Founder, Kainaz Contractor shares, “While purchasing can be a challenge without centralised units, distinct and controlled inventory ensures minimum wastage.” Championing the philosophy of zero wastage in the kitchen, the DSSC Power Packer believes, “both operationally and economically, it makes sense”. With increasing prices of all raw materials, reducing food wastage is an essential step towards achieving that financial bottom-line. “Fresh purchases, first-in-first-out schemes, smaller inventories, and a conscious mindset, food wastage in restaurants can be reduced with every small step,” the ever-beaming lady goes on to add. Weekly purchases for dry ingredients and daily for all temperature-sensitive perishables, is one such step that lower chances of contamination and overuse, thereby, reducing food wastage. Furthering the crusade, community and non-profit organisations such as Food Shift, Ugly Fruit & Veg Campaign, Robin Hood Army, and Feeding India are bringing to limelight innovative solutions and means for easy implementation.
Grocery shopping demonstrated by Peter Arkle; Image: Peter Arkle
Looking beyond policymakers, businesses, and communities, the culpability for food wastage lies with us, as individuals. As award-winning food reporter, Cinda Chavich put forth in The Waste Not, Want Not cookbook, “Our food system is one large, interconnected web and everything we buy, eat, and discard has consequences.” With the impact of food wastage more acute than ever, it is time we take responsibility. #DSSCRecommends three essential steps to take charge, act, and bring about a change.
Plan Better
Alluring discounts? New introductions? No checklist? Reasons for stockpiling can be aplenty. The disruption of the balance between food demand and reserve lays the foundation for food wastage in households. The solution, you ask? Realistic estimation of what you’ll use and what counts as hoarding. Resisting impulse buys. Better planning of meals and putting ‘em checklists to good use when grocery shopping. Planning is key.
Store It Right
Store produce in the refrigerator, yet it doesn’t help achieve the optimum lifespan? Store herbs in cling wraps, yet they dry out? Store brown sugar in airtight containers, yet it clumps up? Food storage is affected by a plethora of factors and only if you store it just right, will it last significantly longer. Keep herbs in water with their stems intact. Wrap cheese in a wax paper, not plastic. Store vegetables at the correct temperature. Use freezing to elongate the life of leftovers.
Make Leftovers Shine
The coriander stems and garlic skins that get thrown in the bin without a second thought boast of oodles of flavour and fragrance. The wilting herbs that get chucked owing to overcautious concerns about health work beautifully when churned into pesto. Parmesan rinds, fish bones, and prawn heads aren’t ‘waste’, and can amplify the flavour of broths by multifold. Stale bread makes scrumptious croutons. Last night chicken pie can transform into a delish lasagna. Leftovers aren’t always meant to be thrown away.
Small steps go a long way, and each step has a resounding impact.
Revelation 02 will reveal the unseen and dire side of the food chain and industry – food wastage. Fourth edition of the four part series, we aim to enable, educate, and encourage individuals to take action.
