World Hunger has remained a tragic issue for years- in America alone, 1 in 6 face this growing problem. Around the world, 800 million people are suffering from hunger, yet 2.9 trillion pounds of food are wasted each year globally. The world produces enough food to feed everyone. So why haven’t we fixed this problem?
National Geographic set out to answer this question in their March 2016 issue. They found that we waste most of our food through food retailers that order too much or ignore foods that don’t fit a specific aesthetic. According to Louis Garibaldi, who’s company Fundo Maria Luisa is the largest grower of mandarins in Peru, 70% of what is grown is exported to the European Union and North America but 30% won’t fit the aesthetic. The reasons that food isn’t utilized are many and include not being the right size, color, or sweetness. Other times they might have blemishes, scars, scratches, sunburn, or fungus. We, as consumers, need to learn to get over these minor aesthetic issues. This problem is quite pervasive and not limited to any one fruit or vegetable.
An Example of what can be done to combat this waste comes from France. A group called Feedback voluntarily gleaned 1100 pounds of potatoes that were too small to harvest mechanically and therefore would have been wasted. The group harvested, cleaned and served them to help make up 6100 dinners, working to inspire others to help out with this global crisis.
You can make a difference! Eat the apple with a small bruise; pick up and share the banana with a small brown spot; look for fruits/vegetables in the grocery store that are ripe, near expiration date, and ready to eat. Take them home and enjoy them with your friends and family. Stop fruit shaming and help solve world hunger.