IN a world where the number of people going hungry keeps on increasing every month, we need to take some solid measures to control food wastage.

According to a report by the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World, for the third year in a row, there has been a rise in world hunger. “The absolute number of undernourished people, i.e. those facing chronic food deprivation, has increased to nearly 821 million in 2017, from around 804 million in 2016.These are levels from almost a decade ago,” the report claimed.

Countries such as Italy and France have come up with an alternative. In Italy, stealing a small amount of food is not considered a crime, whereas in France, it is mandatory for supermarkets to donate unsold products and Britain’s efforts to decrease wastage of food is must be appreciated.

On the other hand, it is very important for developing counties like Pakistan, where 60 per cent of the population is facing food insecurity to minimise food wastage.

Additionally, an average Pakistani household spends 50.8pc of monthly income on food, said the report, adding that an estimated 36 million tonnes of food is wasted in Pakistan every year.

For tackling the problem, the government’s social welfare department may extend their outreach activities by collecting wasted food and distributing it among the needy.

Khanesh Kumar Rathi

Tharparkar

Published in Dawn, January 7th, 2019