Food Wastage, Systemic Risks, and Importance of Public Education

 According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2014),  food waste refers to "intentional discards of edible items, and is mainly due to the behavior of businesses and individuals.”  Annually, global food waste amounts to 1.2 billion metric tons, and about one-third of the production of food for human consumption is wasted (Venkat, 2012). Food waste is becoming a significant issue, especially in countries of major economies as food demand increases. 

As Goldin mentioned in his TED talk, “The collapse in biodiversity, climate change, pandemics, financial crisis will be currency that we will think about. New awareness will have to arise, of how we deal with it, mobilize ourselves, and come together as a community to manage systemic risks.” The impact of food waste on our environment creates not only an economic crisis, but also a climate risk that should be dealt with swiftly. Thus, Singapore should come together as a country to put in more effort in managing the systemic risks that is food wastage, ongoing in our community. In recent years, awareness of this issue has been highlighted, and more plans are increasingly put in action to reduce food wastage. 

The food wastage in Singapore has become increasingly prevalent from all links of its supply chain due to the ease of food accessibility, leading to a need for more practical treatment measures of food waste as well as enhanced public education on food recycling, by the Singapore government.

Reasons for food waste differ among countries (Venkat, 2012). According to the National Environmental Agency (NEA) of Singapore, increasing rates of food waste can be attributed to “population growth as well as increases in tourist arrivals, and increasing affluence” (Green Future Solutions, 2013). The total food waste output in Singapore in 2012 was 703, 200 tons, generating 26 percent more food waste compared to 2007 when total waste output was 558, 900 tons (Green Future Solutions, 2013; NEA, 2013). According to Green Future Solutions (2013), food wastage in Singapore comes from all areas of its supply chain; from the production, to cosmetic filtering for sale, business and cultural practices, and lastly, personal consumption at home.

           

 Food wastage results in detrimental risks in our community. Firstly, food wastage in Singapore results in damaging environmental effects. Proper treatment of food waste is a challenge as untreated food waste leads not only to odor, but also issues of hygiene (Khoo, Lim, & Tan, 2009). Food wastes are not sent to landfills as inorganic wastes are, but rather they are treated by incinerators. Incineration produces volatile greenhouse gaseous emissions including methane, nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide, and carbon monoxide that compromises the environment quality, which in turn affects people living around incinerators (Franchini, Rial, Buiatti, & Bianchi, 2004). In an effort to reduce the impact of incinerating food waste, anaerobic digestion and composting is gradually carried out in Singapore. According to Khoo, Lim, & Tan (2009), this is an effort to recycle food waste. Instead of volatile gaseous emissions, it produces a by-product of bio-gas that is “transferred into gas engines to generate electrical energy which is then sold to National grid.” Anaerobic digestion and composting is evidently a better alternative to the environment, as energy can be put to greater purposes.   

 Secondly, food wastage results in financial and social impacts. Food prices are increasing, resulting in a wider unequal food distribution when food wasted could be given to the poor and malnourished around the world. As a solution to this problem, more efforts should be put into educating individuals in all areas of the supply chain about food wastage. According to Green Future Solutions (2013), there are 3 tips that could apply to businesses as well as individuals to “reduce, redistribute, and recycle” food waste: (1) “Grow and Buy”, (2) “Cook and Eat”, (3) “Give and Recycle”.

Pertaining to the above 3 tips, for businesses: (1) Businesses could contribute to our local economy by supporting and buying from agriculture produce. Also, proper management of food policies should be carried out, e.g., by accepting “cosmetically imperfect food”. (2) Kitchen habits and methods should be improved, e.g., ensuring proper food storage to avoid excessive spoilage. (3) Leftover food should be given to food banks and charities instead of disposing off them (Green Future Solutions, 2013).

For  individuals: (1) Individuals could grow their own food, and plan a grocery list beforehand. This will ensure that they purchase necessary food products sufficient for their household. (2) Individuals should have knowledge of proper storage techniques to avoid disposal of food due to spoilage. (3) Activities like food composting can also be carried out at a home level. Garbage enzyme process is also a possible alternative, providing a wholesome effect of recycling food into usable products (Green Future Solutions, 2013). It is clear that many steps can be taken by individuals at a business or personal level to avoid wastage of food that is perfectly fine to be consumed. Education of the public for these steps to be put to good use is a worthy solution for the  government to carry out to increase the recycling of food.

 In conclusion, food wastage in Singapore has become increasingly prevalent, leading to environmental, financial, and social impacts on our society. However, it is possible for all individuals to play a part in reducing food wastage. Preventing food waste will not only ensure a better environment for our future, but also help to increase food availability and strengthen food security for future generations (Green Future Solutions, 2013).

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References

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.. (2014). Food waste harms climate, water, land and biodiversity – new FAO report. Retrieved from http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/196220/icode/

Franchini, M., Rial, M., Buiatti, E., & Bianchi, E. F. (2004). Health Effects of Exposure to Waste Incinerator Emissions: A Review of Epidemiological Studies. Ann Ist Super Sanita, 40(1), 101-115.

Green Future Solutions (2013). Save Food Cut Waste. Retrieved from 
http://www.savefoodcutwaste.com/tag/singapore-food-waste/

Khoo, H. H., Lim, T. Z., and Tan, R. B. H. (2009). Food Waste Conversion Options in Singapore: Environmental Impacts Based on an LCA Perspective. Science of the Total Environment, 408 (6), 1367-1373. 

National Environmental Agency (2013). Waste Statistics and Overall Recycling. Retrieved from 
http://app2.nea.gov.sg/energy-waste/waste-management/waste-statistics-and-overall-recycling

Venkat, K. (2012). The Climate Change and Economic Impacts of Food Waste in the United States. Int. J. Food System Dynamics, 2 (4), 431-446.