Alliance Environment spokesperson Anna Lo MLA has said that she hopes that the World Environment Day (5th June) will result in a reduction in food waste. The theme for this year’s World Environment Day is to think before you eat and help save our environment. According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), every year 1.3 billion tonnes of food is wasted. This is equivalent to the same amount produced in the whole of sub-Saharan Africa. At the same time, 1 in every 7 people in the world go to bed hungry and more than 20,000 children under the age of 5 die daily from hunger.
Anna Lo MLA said:”By reducing food waste, we can cut carbon emissions from both the production and transport of food that is thrown away. As we look to play our part in combating climate change we can make a serious contribution by cutting the amount of food we throw away.
“Food production uses up our natural resources, whether it is water or land. By throwing away food we are harming our environment for nothing.
“Reducing food waste can also help to tackle the serious problem of world food hunger. We take it for granted that we can easily buy food at a supermarket or a nearby corner shop. However, there are many who struggle each day to find enough food to feed their family. We only have a finite level of resources, and with an ever growing world population, we cannot afford to be wasteful.
“Individuals must think before they buy food whether they will actually use it.
“I have recently taken part in several campaigns on world hunger including when I took part in ‘Living Below the Line’, where I lived on £1 a day for food, and the ‘IF there was enough food for everyone’ campaign. I hope that the world leaders attending the G8 summit will commit to strong targets to reduce world hunger.”
ENDS