Need to change food habits

In the context of the world facing food crisis, climate change and resource depletion, the fact that more than 8 million tons of food are thrown away each year in Vietnam is a sobering alarm.

Not only causing economic waste, uncontrolled food consumption habits also create serious environmental consequences.

Many foods that people do not use have to be thrown away.

According to a report from the Vietnam Food Bank Network, Vietnam ranks second in the Asia- Pacific region in terms of food waste, with more than 8 million tons of food thrown away each year, causing a loss of about 3.9 billion USD, accounting for nearly 2% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The survey also showed that the majority of discarded food is rice, vermicelli, pho, and noodles (accounting for 68%), followed by processed meat and fish (accounting for 53%) and vegetables (accounting for 44%). These figures clearly reflect the shortcomings related to cooking and consumption habits in many Vietnamese families.

Ms. Nguyen Thanh Ha (in Bo De ward) shared: “My family often cooks a lot because we are afraid of not having enough or saving some for people who come home late. There are days when we can’t finish eating, there is too much leftover food, we feel bored eating it again, and it is a pity to throw it away”. The habit of “preserving” like Ms. Ha’s family is not uncommon and is contributing to creating a huge amount of food waste every day.

If in the family, food waste due to cooking habits is significant, then in restaurants and hotels, especially buffet models, the situation is even more serious. Ms. Nguyen Huyen Le (in Dai Mo ward) said: "Entering buffet restaurants, it is easy to see diners picking up all the meat, fish, and shrimp on the tray onto their plates, and when they can't eat anymore, they leave a bunch of leftovers...".

The problem of food waste does not only stop at consumer habits but also stems from weaknesses in the agricultural production and preservation system. Many farmers still cultivate using traditional methods, without access to modern preservation techniques. Vegetables and fresh foods are therefore very easily damaged during transportation and storage, causing great losses for producers and wasting resources such as land, water, and labor.

Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Duy Thinh, former staff of the Institute of Biotechnology - Food Technology ( Hanoi University of Science and Technology), said that discarded food not only causes economic waste but also poses a threat to the environment. Organic waste creates conditions for microorganisms to grow, producing toxic substances, black leachate seeping into the ground, polluting groundwater. The process of food decomposition also produces methane - a greenhouse gas many times more dangerous than CO2.

According to a report by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the world wastes about 1.3 billion tons of food each year, equivalent to one-third of the global food supply. Meanwhile, nearly 800 million people still live in poverty. More worryingly, discarded food is generating up to 8% of total greenhouse gas emissions, contributing significantly to climate change and the loss of global biodiversity.

Faced with the above situation, experts say that reducing food waste is a practical action to save money, protect the environment and move towards sustainable development. To do so, it requires the cooperation of all social classes. Each individual needs to change their consumption habits, such as planning meals reasonably, buying only enough food, prioritizing the use of near-expired goods, reusing leftover food for reprocessing and behaving responsibly when eating at parties and restaurants. Restaurants and hotels should establish a portion control system, use food management technology or cooperate with charities to donate usable food to places where it is needed. The State and businesses also need to invest in the agricultural product preservation and transportation chain, supporting farmers to access new technology to reduce loss right from the production stage.

Every grain of rice, every vegetable... is sweat, effort, and a precious resource. In a world increasingly vulnerable to natural disasters, poverty, and climate change, preventing food waste is no longer a choice but a moral obligation and civic responsibility. Today's awareness is the foundation for tomorrow's life.

Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/can-thay-doi-thoi-quen-su-dung-thuc-pham-707976.html