Food Waste In Pakistan - A 40% Loss Of Our Food

In the context of food security, food waste is the disposal of edible foods. To put it another way, it basically means throwing away the extra food you prepare that shouldn't be saved. This issue affects a lot of nations, but India and Pakistan stand out as the most. The food border that divides our nation from the rest of the world is real and visible to everyone. The World Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) predicted that each year, approximately 1/3 of all food produced for human consumption in the world is lost or wasted.

This food waste is a missed opportunity to not only reduce the food chain's negative effects on the environment and use of resources but also to increase global food security. It is estimated that 1.6 billion tons of "primary product equivalents" of food are wasted worldwide. The edible portion of this totals 1.3 billion tons of food waste.

Food waste is a problem many countries around the world are facing. Pakistan is no exception. The country has already suffered losses to the extent of $13 billion because of the climate crisis in addition to an estimated 4 million people who have been victims of GLOFs (glacial lake outburst floods) since 2005. Still, millions don’t have access to healthy or balanced meals while well-off individuals waste food on a daily basis.

Pakistan is one of several countries that has a serious hunger problem. Lola Castro, the incoming country director of the World Food Programme (WFP), stated that 18 percent of the population faces a severe shortage and 43 percent of the population is still food insecure. Pakistan has a level of hunger that is considered to be "serious" according to the 2016 Global Hunger Index.

Pakistan is also a country where an estimated 40 percent of food is wasted—most of it in lavish ceremonies and banquets. The problem was highlighted two months ago when the Sindh government said it would issue notifications for the closure of marriage halls by 10 pm, and there would be a ban on serving more than two food dishes, but those notifications were never issued.

Nearly 40% of wasted food occurs at various hotel banquets in addition to ceremonies. According to reports, 870 kilograms of food are wasted each day in a major hotel in Islamabad.

In countries like Pakistan, the government needs to craft regulations in order to curb food waste. The government can also make it mandatory for industrial units to acquire equipment that would allow them to compost their food waste and make it reusable. There are several options that the government can explore and carry out; however, it all starts at the policy level and once implemented, should be followed through with effective monitoring, inspection, and enforcement of these policies. In doing so, we can ensure a food-secure future for Pakistan.