On the path from field to table, nearly one-third of food products (31 percent) end up in the trash, generating devastating effects not only economically but also environmentally. This food waste contributes significantly to energy expenditure and waste disposal, further exacerbating the problem. Estimates indicate that emissions associated with food waste account for between 8 percent and 10 percent of total global greenhouse gases. It is also an unsustainable phenomenon from an ethical standpoint: the food wasted each year would be enough to feed the 733 million hungry people in the world.
Climate change amplifies the issue, exacerbating the challenges of food preservation, processing, transportation, and sale. Higher temperatures, extreme weather events, and droughts increase losses along food supply chains. To combat this waste, it’s essential to adopt good daily practices: carefully reading expiration dates, ensuring proper food storage, prioritizing smaller but more frequent purchases, choosing local and fresh products, and rediscovering recipes to reuse leftovers. Even small gestures, such as using doggy bags in restaurants, can make a difference, significantly reducing food waste.
The connection between food waste and its economic impact on families is central to discussions during World Food Day, held on October 16. This year’s theme, “The Right to Food for a Better Life and Future,” highlights the urgency of ensuring everyone has access to adequate nutrition. The FAO, which promotes this event, emphasizes that global agricultural production is sufficient to feed the entire world population. Yet, despite this, 733 million people suffer from hunger. This paradox is worsened by wars, extreme climate events, and economic crises, which severely impact the most vulnerable communities, often made up of farmers.
The right to food, recognized as fundamental in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, is nonetheless denied to about 2.8 billion people who cannot afford a healthy diet. Poor nutrition remains one of the main causes of malnutrition, manifesting in various forms, from undernourishment to obesity. World Food Day not only raises awareness of the importance of proper nutrition for all but also aims to transform agri-food systems, which are often vulnerable to biodiversity loss and the degradation of natural resources.
The ITA0039 certification protocol by ASACERT plays an important role in this fight, promoting and protecting traditional Italian products through a network of Italian restaurants worldwide, combating resource waste and phenomena like Italian Sounding. The ITA0039 App, for instance, is a tool for consumer awareness, providing immediate information on the authenticity of Italian products being purchased, protecting Italy’s food excellence.
After all, the worst kind of waste is that which goes unnoticed or is disguised as an easy saving.
