The United Nations World Food Programme is on a mission to stop food waste. It may be a mouldy piece of cheese or an old carrot. There’s often some frightful foodstuff festering at the back of the fridge. But very often, these seemingly spoiled items can be rescued and included in a tasty dish. That is why the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) today announced the launch of Stop the Waste. This is a global campaign to raise awareness about the huge amounts of edible food that is discarded daily. A habit that must be overcome if the world is going to make real progress in eradicating global hunger.
Stop Food Waste #StoptheWaste Is Supported By Foodies Globally
As part of this campaign, WFP has enlisted top restaurateurs and celebrity chefs from around the globe to join the movement. These celebrities will make their own pledge to #StopTheWaste
While there’s enough food in the world to feed everyone, one third of the 4 billion metric tons of food produced each year is lost or wasted. This costs the global economy nearly US$1 trillion annually. At the same time, war and unrest are forcing more people to flee their homes. This is more than at any time since the Second World War. The situation makes it difficult for millions of people to grow their own food or buy it at an affordable price.
Food Loss and Waste
A recent report by the World Resources Institute confirmed that halving the rate of food loss and waste is an important strategy. This would contribute to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals, meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement on climate change, and sustainably feeding the planet by 2050. The WFP’s goal is a world with Zero Hunger.
Part of achieving that goal is preventing food loss. The WFP does this by helping smallholder farmers through the provision of new technologies for storage and transportation that prevent crops from spoiling prematurely and by connecting them with markets.
Stop Food Waste #StopTheWaste Impacts Everyone
“#StopTheWaste is a campaign that appeals to everyone along the chain from farm to fork,” said Corinne Woods. Woods is the Chief Marketing Officer for the World Food Programme. She explains, “Food waste is a global issue but everyone can play their part in building a sustainable solution. Whether you are a farmer in Nigeria, losing your crops after harvest or a restaurant diner in New York, wasting the leftovers from your meal, you really can help to #StoptheWaste.”
Award Winning Stop Food Waste Recipes
In the U.S., award-winning chef Andrew Zimmern has joined the movement. He is creating his own recipes and using food that would normally go to waste. Zimmern has pledged #StopTheWaste in hopes of inspiring his followers to do the same.
“Feeding those in need requires a dozen different action steps as part of a multi-pronged solution to reduce and hopefully eliminate food waste,” said Andrew Zimmern, four-time James Beard Award-winning TV personality, chef, writer and teacher. “This is a global problem at every level: from the farm to the wholesaler. From the grocery store to your house, we can all do our part to help. By taking simple steps at home to reduce food waste is good for your wallet and the environment, and supporting organizations that rescue perfectly good landfill-bound produce is vital for feeding those in need.”
Stop Food Waste by Joining the #StoptheWaste Movement
The World Food Programme has also launched a 30-second animated video as part of the campaign. The animation aims to spotlight food waste and highlight simple solutions we can take to prevent it by educating people on how to get involved.
Follow these simple steps to pledge #StopTheWaste:
- Search your fridge or pantry for a food item that is nearing its expiration date and is safe to eat
- Snap a selfie with your item (do not forget to eat it)
- Share your photos on social using #StopTheWaste and challenge three friends by tagging them in your post
- Take your pledge one step further by sharing your food waste recipes or hosting a dinner party to encourage others to do the same.
We can all play our part to help stop food waste. For more information and to get involved with the World Food Programme, please visit www.wfp.org/foodwaste #StopTheWaste
