Essay Sample on Food Wastage

Introduction

Food wastage is a clear and present danger that not only highlights the development disparities between developed and developing nations but also has severe impacts on the environment through global warming. Moreover, as food wastage during production, consumption, and distribution reinforce there is a need for a balance mechanism and research into consumer behavior to encourage sustainable food choices and in so doing reduce wastage at the consumption stage.

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Discussion

The unsustainability arising from food wastage affects the ability of future generations r to meet their demands amidst concerns of an increasing global population that is set to reach 9.8 billion in 2050. For instance, meat which is a luxury in many developing countries is slowly consumed, in developing countries, in fact, estimates that the demand for beef has continually increased and for example, between 2009 and 2010, worldwide per capita meat consumption increased by 0.6 kg from 41.3 kilograms. Meat production has increased four folds from 78 million to 308 million tons, and the most consumed meat is pork, poultry, beef, and mutton. However, the process is environmentally friendly as studies reveal that animals produce around 51% of universal greenhouse gases. Cattle rearing, in particular, generate higher levels of greenhouse gases measured in carbon dioxide equivalents compared to the transportation sector.

Also, animal rearing through manure contributes to over 60% of the humanly related nitrous oxide whose Global Warming Potential surpasses that of CO2; it is 296 times more potent. As a result, these emissions cause global warming that has devastating effects such as more frequent heat waves and powerful hurricanes. The concerns are even more significant when the food goes to waste. Besides that, on average a single cow can consume up to 50 gallons a day, worse off, the consumption worsens to nearly twice the amount in hot weather. Such use is unsustainable because from a cost-benefit perspective it takes an average of 683 gallons to produce a single gallon of milk. Furthermore, livestock consumes an average of 2400 gallons of water to produce a pound of beef whose significant portion goes to waste.

The wastage of food varies per country; in developed countries, it occurs in the consumption stage while in developing states it occurs during production as a result of poor transport, storage facilities and climate changes. Inequalities between developing and underdeveloped countries highlight the need for a balance mechanism and research into consumer behavior to encourage sustainable food choices and in so doing reduce wastage at the consumption stage. Moreover, it highlights the need for investment in sub-Saharan Africa, an area with a population boom and an expected increase in its youth population to prevent a humanitarian crisis as with continued wastage and subsequent global warming, developing countries are set to be most affected.

Conclusion

Food production significantly contributes to environmental pollution, and its wastage negates its output as a result of the dangers it poses to the environment through global warming.