Nearly 1/3 of the food produced in the world every year goes into the trash can. These foods could have filled the stomachs of 2 billion people.
Food waste is very common. You will find that a lot of food is being discarded in your kitchen and street restaurant. In the United States, more than 80% of food waste comes from households and consumer-oriented industries. Why is the food waste problem so difficult to solve? Researchers believe that this is due to human nature, because we have irrational thoughts, unrealistic wishes, and some knowledge blind spots, and are often too busy to take care of the avocado on the table. In the United States, people waste food without knowing it when they buy, cook, and entertain.
Food waste causes 1/3 of human food to rot in vain, and it is also one of the main causes of climate change. Environmentalists say that less food is wasted, not only saves money and time, but also saves farmland and fuel, and even saves tigers-because agricultural activities will reduce animal habitat. Dana Ganders, author of "Zero Waste Kitchen Manual", said: "The awareness of reducing waste is gradually increasing, but most people have not realized that food waste is a global problem." Researchers and environmentalists are full of hope to solve the food waste problem. , But we still face the following challenges.
We would rather believe in printed numbers than in our own feelings.
Labels such as "eat/sell/used before this date" cause Americans to waste approximately $29 billion worth of food each year. Environmentalists expect consumers to increase their awareness of conservation, and they also hope to establish uniform standards for labels, because these labels currently do not have certain regulations, and the date is usually based on the quality of the product rather than the safety.
In order to study the depth of consumer superstition about labels, researchers at Ohio State University provided a batch of milk with different production dates to two groups of subjects. "Good" label, the other group is not marked with date information.
As a result, in the group that did not know the date information, the subjects had a higher acceptance of milk with an earlier date of production. Interestingly, due to processing problems, there was a can of milk with a fresher date. The quality was not good. However, in the group with a label on the milk cans, many subjects thought it was no problem, but it was another group of subjects. Although I didn’t see the label, I thought it was not suitable for drinking.
We do not admit that we are the problem.
Although the issue of food waste has attracted more attention under the influence of publicity activities such as "Save Food", it is still a difficult problem to strengthen everyone's awareness of saving. A food waste study conducted by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) in several cities in the United States found that 76% of respondents believed that the amount of food they wasted was lower than the average American level. Obviously, this is not the case.
Brian Roy, director of the Ohio Food Waste Cooperative Project, also got similar results. He said: "This is a general response to negative accusations. No one wants to admit that they are the problem."
We are complacent after composting.
Another study showed that if composting is possible, people will feel more at ease when they waste food. Roy, a professor of agriculture, environment and development economics, said: “Perhaps composting can reduce the guilt of wasting food. Composting itself is not a bad thing, but food should not be wasted in the first place. That way, more society and society will be created. Environmental benefits."
We are good at avoiding the guilt of discarding leftovers.
When the waiter asks you if you need to pack leftover kale salad, you might say "OK" out of guilt, and you even believe that you will actually eat it when you get home. But if it’s not a special concern, this packaged salad is likely to be spoiled. After all, compared to edible food, rancid food is less psychologically burdensome to throw away.
Laura Moreno studies the phenomenon of food waste at the University of California, Berkeley. She calls this behavior "delayed processing." Moreno said: "Delayed processing can reduce guilt." NRDC's research found that leftovers are second only to fruits and vegetables in the ranking of food waste.
Gan Desi, who participated in writing the NRDC research report, pointed out that people tend to put food in the refrigerator for a period of time before throwing it in the trash can. To avoid wasting food, she recommends eating leftovers within a week: "I prefer to treat the refrigerator as a short-term storage room rather than a long-term storage room."
We lack understanding of food.
Moreno spent several hours checking respondents’ refrigerators and understanding their eating habits. Everyone has different opinions on what should be eaten and what should be thrown away. Some people think that pizza crust cannot be eaten, and some people only eat scallions. A visit left a deep impression on Moreno: "The man said to me seriously:'I cut off the root of the carrot tip every time because I'm not sure if it can be eaten.'" ReFED (Follow Organizations such as non-profit organizations on food waste and Moreno believe that popularizing food-related knowledge is one of the most effective ways to reduce food waste.
We look down on frozen food.
Most people have a prejudice against frozen food. The food stored in the freezer will not wilt or become moldy, and you can consume vegetables and protein during the working day without frequent shopping in the store. NRDC and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) are working to eliminate people's dislike of frozen broccoli paste. Monica McBride, WWF's director of food waste, said: "We need a celebrity chef to preach that frozen broccoli paste is a healthy food and its nutrition has not been lost."
We waste food out of love and kindness.
Gan Desi said: "Some behaviors cause food waste, but the starting point is often good, such as preparing healthy food for the family, trying new ingredients, organizing parties, eating healthier, cooking more... Food waste is the hidden nature of these activities. Consequences."
Moreno pointed out that in order to solve the food waste problem, we must first admit: asking people to reduce food waste may deprive them of the feeling that food gives them to care for their families, because for many people, a fully packed refrigerator allows them Feel at ease. An interviewee contacted by Moreno is accustomed to buying new replacements immediately after using up an item. She needs to feel that she is taking good care of her family and friends. She refers to her purchasing habits as "doomsday purchasing."
Speaking of a fully packed refrigerator, we think of baskets full of bread on the dinner table, bakeries full of food in cafeterias, and hills of goods in food stores... We like to see plenty of food. And I am upset that there is only one lone banana or the last piece of salmon left in the refrigerator.
Hotels that provide breakfast buffets and catering are a big waste. Therefore, WWF has studied some saving methods that do not damage the image of the hotel. The key point is that the quality is light and the weight is light. For example, instead of providing bread baskets piled into hills, it is better to introduce a small plate of carefully placed bread rolls and indicate that these pastries are freshly baked; considering that empty trays are not very beautiful, WWF recommends that hotels can serve banquets Provide smaller plates.
Consumers cannot be blamed for food waste.
Our purchase volume is too large.
When shopping at the vegetable market, we often envision healthy recipes for the week, such as colorful salads and grilled vegetables, which are very suitable for posing. However, the actual situation is not always so perfect-out of restaurants, temporary appointments, working overtime until late at night, do not want to cook, food is out of order...
Elizabeth Balken, director of food waste at NRDC, said: "You need to make your purchases The quantity is consistent with the frequency of purchase. If you want to eat fresh food, but go to the supermarket only once every two weeks, that will definitely not work." As a mother with young children, Balken said that she will purchase carefully when she asks her children to try new food. Because if you have to let your children eat all the food, the final destination of these foods is likely to be the floor of the home.
Our kitchen utensils and appliances, as well as outside food stores encourage us to over-purchase.
When purchasing in a food store, if the food packaging box is too large or the packaging bag is not easy to reseal, we will waste more food. At home, we have large-capacity refrigerators, extra-large saucepans and large dinner plates, all of which contribute to food waste. Ganders said: "It is important to use tableware of the right size."
Moreno said bluntly: "There is a magical place called the innermost refrigerator, where everything can be accommodated." She does not encourage everyone to use a small refrigerator, but It is believed that the food waste problem should be solved together with other problems. Moreno suggested that perhaps everyone can be encouraged to store emergency water in the innermost part of the refrigerator, so that other things will be put in the front, so that they will not be lost and cause waste.
We are social animals and do not want to defy conventions.
Suppose you are attending a wedding banquet, and you will be full after eating snacks and mashed potatoes. The staple food is roast chicken. It may seem impolite to ask for packaging, but if we throw away food and waste resources to contribute to climate change, is it more "rude" to nature?
Gan Desi said that despite the truth, this bad habit still exists. However, this problem can be overcome with a little help. She suggested that the hotel develop a take-out package business, and mark "please pick up the meal". She said: "I think the'ice-breaking' should be initiated by the host of the banquet, and the guests will often cooperate."
Don't push yourself too hard.
The "Emission Reduction Plan" believes that in terms of mitigating climate change, reducing food waste is the third most influential action, second only to managing refrigerants and increasing onshore wind power. Although we cannot install wind turbines for everyone, at least we can change our lunch and lifestyle and reduce waste as much as we can.
Therefore, everyone can increase awareness and have a positive impact on the issue of food waste. But Moreno pointed out that we can't put all the responsibility on consumers. Measures such as popularizing food-related knowledge, re-arranging food stores and kitchens, adjusting date labeling rules, and changing catering methods can also achieve the purpose of preventing waste, rather than blindly blaming consumers. Moreno said in this regard: "The phenomenon of food waste in a family does not mean that it is caused by someone in the family. There are many reasons."
