A serious economic issue
One issue that everyone understands is the importance of food in our lives. Many take it for granted they can help themselves to food whenever they want to. For others, though, finding food on the table every day will always be a struggle.
The importance of food was marvellously described in one of the lyrics of the musical Oliver Twist. “Food, glorious food! What wouldn’t we give for that extra bit more – that’s all we live for. Why should we be fated to do nothing but brood on food, magical food, wonderful food, fabulous food.”
While for some people shortage of food is a major challenge they have to deal with on a daily basis, for many others the wastage of food is becoming a serious economic and environmental risk.
In an international conference on sustainable food and bio-waste management, European Commissioner Karmenu Vella described reducing waste food as the “quickest and easiest” way of easing the strain on the environment. The social impact of food waste is even more worrying. Nearly one in 10 Europeans cannot afford a quality meal every second day and a fifth of all food produced in Europe goes to waste.
A Food and Agriculture Organisation report, published last year,...