Worldwide, 30% of food is lost or wasted - This averages out to 614 kcal per person every
single day, about the same as 10 medium eggs or 21 large carrots! But wait! What does this
have to do with climate change?

When food is lost or wasted, all of the resources
that went into making it are wasted too. Globally this accounts for 1.4 billion hectares
of wasted land and 250 km3 of wasted water every year. That’s a land area larger than Canada and
India put together and enough water to fill

up 100 million Olympic-sized swimming pools! What’s more, food loss and waste are responsible
for 8-10% of global greenhouse gas emissions. These emissions not only come from the production
and transportation of the wasted food, but they also come directly from the rotting food
itself when it is broken down by microorganisms.

Despite all this waste, in 2019 nearly 1 in
10 people around the world were exposed to severe food insecurity. Reducing food loss
and waste by just 50% would provide enough food to feed all these people and then some!

Although food losses occur at all stages of
the food supply chain, their main cause varies between countries. In wealthier countries, more than 40% of food
loss and waste occur at the retail and consumer stage, largely due to consumer behavior and
food supply exceeding demand.

Food losses in lower-income countries mostly
occur earlier in the supply chain, due to poor harvesting techniques, insufficient storage and cooling facilities, and
a lack of infrastructure for food transport and marketing. So what can we do to reduce all of this food

loss and
waste? Well, let's begin at the start of the supply
chain: we need to reduce food losses on the farm itself. Sub-optimal conditions, such
as not enough water and too much heat, significantly

reduce the growth potential of food crops
and 20-40% of crops globally are lost to insect pests, weeds, and diseases. Global soil quality is also degrading, making
it harder for plants to access the nutrients they need to grow and forcing farmers to rely
on artificial fertilizers.

By improving soil quality and exploiting natural
interactions between plants, animals, and their environment, farmers can improve crop
yields while reducing waste and resource use. Providing farmers with effective harvesting
technologies will also be important as food is often lost to damage or spillage during
the harvesting process.

One of the biggest causes of food loss in
lower-income countries is storage: if food is left somewhere that is too hot or too damp
it can easily spoil or rot. Improving storage facilities and transport infrastructure can
therefore significantly reduce losses: if

lower-income countries had the same access
to refrigeration as richer nations, food losses could be reduced by 25%! To solve this problem, we need to develop low-cost, off-grid solutions
for food preservation, such as mobile solar-powered storage.

Food processing and more durable packaging
can also prevent food spoilage during storage, transport, and at the consumer stage, although
we would need to consider the sustainability of the packaging that is used. Even so, innovation can only get us so far.
Retailer and consumer behaviors will also

need to change. For example, supermarkets set very high standards
for what food should look like, meaning that imperfect food is often discarded even if
it is perfectly edible. Embracing these “ugly” foods at both the retail and consumer levels
will significantly reduce how much gets thrown

away. Restaurants, retailers, and caterers can also
reduce their waste by selling food in more appropriate portions and by donating uneaten
goods to those who are unable to afford them. But what can we do as individuals? Well, we can start by planning ahead and only
buying what we need. We can cook with leftovers

and use our freezers to keep food fresh for
longer. As well as encouraging less wasteful practices, we also need to be more aware of
how to store food properly and how to tell if food is still safe beyond its expiration
date.

As the world gets richer, consumer-level food
waste is likely to become more and more of a problem. Therefore, it is vital that people
are aware of the impacts of food waste and what they can do to make a difference. If you liked this video be sure to subscribe
and hit the notification bell so you can be

notified as soon as our next video comes out!
Till next time <3

Food Waste: The Hidden Cost of the Food We Throw Out I ClimateScience #9

ClimateScience - Solve Climate Change

전 세계 음식물 쓰레기와 환경 영향

전 세계적으로 음식의 30%가 손실되거나 낭비되고 있으며, 이는 1인당 매일 상당한 칼로리 손실에 해당합니다.

식량 손실로 인해 토지와 물과 같은 막대한 자원이 낭비되고 있습니다.

음식물 손실과 폐기물은 전 세계 온실가스 배출에 크게 기여합니다.

음식물 쓰레기를 줄이면 식량 불안을 크게 완화할 수 있습니다.

부유한 국가에서는 소비자 행동과 공급 과잉으로 인해 대부분의 식량 손실이 소매점과 소비자 수준에서 발생합니다.

저소득 국가에서는 열악한 기술과 인프라로 인해 공급망 초기에 식량 손실이 만연합니다.

농장 수준에서 식량 손실을 줄이기 위한 솔루션

토양의 질을 개선하고 자연과의 상호작용을 통해 작물 수확량을 늘리고 폐기물을 줄입니다.

피해와 유출을 최소화하기 위한 효과적인 수확 기술을 제공합니다.

보관 및 운송 중 식품 손실 문제 해결

보관 시설 및 운송 인프라를 개선하여 부패를 줄입니다.

식품 보존을 위한 저비용 독립형 솔루션 개발.

소매점 및 소비자 수준에서 음식물 쓰레기 줄이기

식품 가공, 내구성 있는 포장, 포장의 지속 가능성 고려.

불완전한 식품을 수용하고 제공량을 줄이도록 소매업체의 기준을 변경합니다.

계획적인 구매, 남은 음식 활용, 적절한 음식 보관과 같은 개별적인 행동이 필요합니다.

음식물 쓰레기의 영향에 대한 인식과 변화를 위한 개인 행동에 대한 인식이 높아졌습니다.

Food Waste: The Hidden Cost of the Food We Throw Out I ClimateScience #9

Food Waste: The Hidden Cost of the Food We Throw Out I ClimateScience #9

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