Curbing food waste: Packaging to help manage a global challenge
With rising global populations, food security is an increasingly important concern. Fears of food shortages are a constant threat in certain parts of the world, and these threats are expected to grow. Policymakers agree food insecurity poses a threat not only to human welfare but also to global peace. To help combat this threat, it’s time to take a close look at food waste and at strategies to mitigate the problem.
There is a tremendous amount of food that is wasted on this planet. According to the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), 1.3 billion tons of food is wasted annually , or more than 350 pounds of food for every person on the planet. With the many ways in which food is lost or discarded – from harvest through to consumption – it is unsurprising that food spoilage and waste are considered significant sustainability concerns. With the world celebrating Earth Day on April 22, this article will examine the various points across the production and consumption cycle where waste occurs, and outline several processing and packaging technologies that can go a long way to reducing the problem.