According to the World Food Programme, more than 340 million people in the world today suffer from severe food insecurity. Behind each of these figures are, in fact, specific people. Moreover, almost two million of them are on the verge of starvation, and their condition is qualified as catastrophic. That is, people are currently dying not from disease or old age, but from lack of the most basic things, namely, food.

 

At the same time, according to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the world wastes about 1 billion tonnes of food per year, or one fifth of all food available to consumers. Food waste not only adds to the problem of hunger, but also causes serious environmental damage. They are responsible for about 10 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions. Reducing food waste is therefore a key step towards food security, climate protection and resource efficiency.

 

We highlight that the bulk of food waste (about 60%) is generated by households, with the rest distributed between catering (28%) and retail (12%). In addition, about 13% of food is lost before it reaches the shelves, namely at the stages of harvesting, storage and transport.

 

Countries around the world, such as Uzbekistan, are increasingly introducing various technological solutions to reduce food waste. Against this background, an important direction, in our opinion, is the strengthening of anthropological factors, such as an ingrained tradition of careful and respectful attitude to food that has existed since ancient times. This has direct relevance to Uzbekistan, where it is not just a cultural peculiarity, but also a part of folk ethics. And today, despite the growth of consumption and urbanisation, it is important to continue to support this attitude in families in our country.

 

* The Institute for Advanced International Studies (IAIS) does not take institutional positions on any issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the IAIS.