The issue of excessive food waste is a major contributor to food insecurity around the world. Islam strictly forbids wasting food, and it is believed that Allah disapproves of such behavior, regardless of the amount of food wasted. According to a report, food security is expected to decrease by 40% to 60% by 2050, which is a cause for great concern. Currently, around 228 million people in the world are facing food insecurity while an estimated 2.5 billion tons of food are wasted annually. Simple mathematics shows that eliminating food waste completely would be enough to eradicate food insecurity. On average, an individual consumes 4 kg of food per day, but more than 8kg of food is wasted, which means that completely curbing food waste would wipe out food insecurity entirely.
This is a challenging task not only for developing countries but also for developed countries. It is imperative for the world to devise a strategy to address this issue before it worsens, as failure to do so may contribute to an increase in the suicide rate. To reduce food waste, people must be made aware of the consequences of such behavior. Media programs should be introduced that effectively address the problem of food insecurity. These issues should also be incorporated into the curriculum of every country. It is hoped that by effectively implementing these suggestions, food waste can be significantly reduced, and the issue of food insecurity can be effectively tackled.
ALI RAZA JAMALI,
Shaheeed Benazirabad.