UNS — Almost everyone once left some foods uneaten and created a food waste. As a result, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimated that one-third of produced foods are wasted. According to kontan.co.id, Indonesia is recorded as the second-largest producer of food wastes in the world with 300 kg/year per capita by the Economic Intelligence Unit. This fact has pushed food waste reduction into one of the priorities in RPJMN 2020—2024.
The Faculty of Agriculture (FP) Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS) Surakarta, faculty member Dian Rachmawati Afandi, S.TP., M.P., shared the reasons why people should avoid creating food wastes.
First, Supply Chain Savings
The first reason is an economic reason of supply chain savings. Considering production process, distribution, and consumption to prevent food waste production will reduce the costs incurred for each food production process, particularly in consumption.
Second, Preventing Environmental Damage
The supply chain savings will save energy and other natural resources. Therefore, preventing environmental damage with a simple example of reducing water consumption used in cooking. This saving will also contribute to reducing greenhouse gasses. As Dian explained, food wastes produce methane, which is 21 times more destructive and absorb more heat than carbon dioxide.
“If we take the country as examples, the countries that contribute to greenhouse gases are first China, second, United States, third, food and loss waste (methane). (If) the global wastes are collected, it could be the third country that contributes to the greenhouse gasses,” Dian explained on Saturday (1/5/2021).
Third, many people are in famine
The last reason is the number of foods produced is sufficient to feed people with hunger globally, including Indonesia. Thus, not finishing foods and let them go wasted is not wise. Dian stated that 25% of global food wastes could feed 870 people globally and that if one person in Indonesia left only one piece of rice, there would be 4,980 kg of rice wasted a day.
“Not to mention water, if you don’t finish your glass of water, if we collect that, there will be 1.5 liters a day. We wasted that while (somewhere) people cannot get clean water,” Dian said. Humas UNS
Reporter: Kaffa hidayati
Editor: Dwi Hastuti