Touching facts about Food waste - Published July 23, 2015

Food is a great source of sustenance and the world is believed to produce about 4 billion metric tonnes per annum. A shocking fact is that approximately 30-50% of the entire food produced fails to get to a human stomach. ***Four Touchpoints in food wastage***: Food waste occurs at different phases in the production and consumption journey. The four stages for which food wastage occurs are poor techniques in harvesting, transportation, storage and consumer wastage. ***Meeting Food waste where it happens***: A study carried out by the institution of mechanical engineers revealed different scenarios where food waste occurs. Each population group has its unique activities that contribute to food waste. - ***Fully developed/post-industrial societies***: In mature economies, where there are efficient farming techniques, proper storage and adequate processing facilities, food in most cases reach the consumer or market. In this scenario or economy, a higher proportion of food wastage is as a result of retail and consumer behaviour. Families in the UK, for example, are believed to be wasting or chucking about 24 meals a month. The food waste in the United Kingdom alone adds up to about 4.2 million tonnes a year. - ***Late-stage developing countries***: Nations that are currently on the industrialization journey like China are experiencing decelerating levels of population growth and increasing wealth. These countries will also experience food wastage due to the behaviours of retailers and consumers. - ***Newly developing countries***: These are countries that are at an early stage of the industrialisation process. For these nations, food wastage tends to occur at every touchpoint such as techniques in harvesting, transportation, storage and consumer wastage.