Selling Of Food Waste, Expired Foods and Substandard Foods

Introduction

            Food is very important in the daily life of human beings. The food that is consumed is what produces the energy that is required to carry out the different activities that human beings engage in (Sidali et al, 2011). Scientifically, food is needed for the human body to repair and also build new cells that are important for the growth and development process. It is also critical to note that food helps the body to be immune to diseases and also to accelerate the healing process (Yiannas, 2009). Statistics state that the world today has more than enough food to feed the entire population. This can be explained by the fact that the world produces approximately 19% food for a single person that what is required. This is to mean that the world today produces more food than it used to produce 40 years ago (Sidali et al, 2011).  

            However, millions of people today from all around the globe go to bed hungry every night. This has been caused by various reasons such as poverty, inequality, food wastage among other reasons (Sidali et al, 2011).  Authors argue that a combination of both the conventional and organic farming methods would help to eradicate the problem, of hunger all over the world. They believe that the combination of these two methods would help to produce foods that would be able to feed the ever growing population in the world. Others state that the real cause of hunger is the aspect of poverty and uneven distribution and not scarcity (Sidali et al, 2011). It is evident that in the past several decades the global production of food has greatly increased at a higher rate that the population growth in the world. This is to mean that the food available is able to feed two times the global population. It is also evident that the food is able to feed the entire population up to the forecasted 10 billion people by 2040. However there are very poor people who are not able to raise money to buy the food because most of them make less than $2 in a day (Sidali et al, 2011).

            Despite the fact that people go hungry due to lack of money to buy the food it is also true to say that a lot of food is wasted or thrown away because it is considered to be substandard (Chancellor, 2010). It is evident that most crops that are produced industrially are normally used for bio fuels and some is used to make food for animals rather than be used to feed the over a million people who are living with hunger (Chancellor, 2010). From this explanation it is evident that the world has enough food for all people but the priorities are what are lacking. It is clear that the issue of people living and dying out of hunger will continue to trouble the world if they continue to prioritize the growing population of animals and in production of bio fuels than the growing population of human beings (Chancellor, 2010).

            It is critical to note that if the food that is considered to be substandard would be sold at a cheaper price or be given for free to the hungry people the challenge of hunger would be eradicated.  This paper will help to explain the effects of food wastage, the substandard foods and the expired foods and how they relate to reducing hunger in the world. Different aspects of food marketing will also be discussed in the paper.

Selling and donation of food waste

            Food waste can be termed as food that has been lost, thrown away or that which has not been eaten. Food is lot in various stages manufacture, processing, vending or consumption (Yiannas, 2009). It is clear that some people discard a lot of food yet there are others somewhere who are in need of that food.  The act of donating food waste is of great importance because it helps to put food on people’s tables especially for the families that are in need or the poor (Yiannas, 2009). The donations of these foods from homes or business ventures that are not perishable or spoilt play a very vital role in stocking food banks for people. The perishable prepared foods are also very vital in feeding the needy but should however be handled properly and hygienically through the use of refrigerated trucks and quick distribution (Yiannas, 2009). This is because such foods may go bad in a short time and therefore should be distributed as soon as received.

            Gleaning can also be termed as an act of food donation. This is because it involves the collection of excess food products from fresh farms, gardens, fresh produce markets for the purpose of feeding the needy (Sidali et al, 2011). This is mostly done because most of these people do not have farms that can be used for the practice of farming because most re street families. Such people depend on what they are able to get in the course of the day in order to eat and thus most people end up sleeping hungry (Sidali et al, 2011). This is one of the main reasons as to why the donation of food waste is critical to eradicate hunger.

            There are various organizations that are both for works of charity and profits making that have come together to provide either very low cost or free foods for the needy people (Chancellor, 2010). It is vital to note that some of these foods are provided at a very low cost in order to ensure that the process of supply is a long term activity. Some countries such as Italy have made it a law that all supermarkets are required to donate all their waste food for charity (Chancellor, 2010). This is to mean that discarding or throwing away bad food is against the law. This has helped to curb the problem of hunger in the nation and the law also allowed a reduction in the rubbish taxes imposed on the businesses that give towards charity (Chancellor, 2010).

            France is also a country that discourages the throwing away of waste food and enforces the act of giving to charity. This law has been enacted following a campaign against food wastage and poverty (Bloom, 2011). This was done to ensure that families will always have something to eat because most supermarkets had been reported to throw away food just before the expiry dates. This has caused an increase in the amounts of foods received in the food banks for the needy people. It is evident that the prices of food reduce as the food approach the expiry date (Bloom, 2011). This is to mean that the needy people are able to buy such food instead of it being thrown away.

            It is vital for supermarkets and business ventures to have a local arrangement with charity organizations where they can donate food and be able o provide a solution to the issue of food wastage in the country (Bloom, 2011).  This process can be made more effective by ensuring that foods have best before dates and the use by dates. This will help to ensure that even after food has passed the best before date; it can be consumed by the needy people before the use by dates (Bloom, 2011). This is because legal actions do not allow food to be donated after the use by dates. The distribution of these foods is also of great importance because it ensures that all the needy people are able to access the food provided (Bloom, 2011).

            However, it is vital to note that this may not be a permanent solution in eradicating hunger among the people. This is because if people avoided the wastage of food then very little would go to the food banks and reserves (Yiannas, 2009). Critics argue that the act of giving out food is a healthy practice but advocates for laziness. This is because these people who are needy have the strength to find opportunities and work to sustain their lives but if food is provided for free then they will not find jobs and therefore encourage laziness (Yiannas, 2009). It is also evident that the fact that these people remain unemployed, the issue of crime comes into picture.

            According to critics, food is very important for the human body to be functional and if it is provided for free, then there will be no need to go and work. This will cause them to indulge in criminal activities like robbery in order to acquire money for other things (Yiannas, 2009). This therefore calls for the government to be able to carefully scrutinize the people eligible for the free food and those that are not. However, the best solution to this issue is ensuring the government creates job opportunities and training programs that will enable these people to have sustainable lives in the long term (Yiannas, 2009).

Expired foods

            The expiration date simply mean the last day when food should be consumed. However, there are some foods that are normally labeled the sell by date (Delaney & Madigan, 2014). This is mainly to show the last day when food should be displayed. It is mostly bout freshness and quality but it is not about the implications on health. Such foods that are removed from the display should be given to the needy people to eat (Delaney & Madigan, 2014).  The best before date refers to the quality and not the safety. This also means that the foods can be consumed. In most cases, supermarkets throw away the foods after they have passed these dates which should not be the case. This is because there are many people out there who are suffering from hunger (Delaney & Madigan, 2014). The food should be collected and given to these people to eat. As discussed above, it is evident that the price of food reduces as the food approached the date of expiry; this is to mean that it can also be given out to the needy at a small fee.

            According to research, it is evident that the dates that normally given in the food packages do not refer to food safety (Sidali et al, 2011). This is because some foods may be thrown away as a result of the expiration dates while in the real sense the food is fit for consumption only that the quality and freshness may be lacking. However, it is vital to preserve foods in refrigerators to allow the food to go for long before going bad (Sidali et al, 2011). This can be seen at homes where food has stayed in the refrigerator and people still eat; this is to mean that just because food has passed the dates encrypted on the food label it should not be thrown away.

            It is vital to note that lifestyle choices and poor planning are one of the major reasons as to why we have increased foods being discarded (Sidali et al, 2011). Another reason for this is the misconception of the dates that are labeled (Sidali et al, 2011). Any consumers do not know the difference between food quality and food safety and therefore a lot of food is thrown into the trash. Medical experts state that diseases related to foods come as a result of contamination and not from decay. This is to mean that foods that are still fit for consumption but have passed the expiry dates should be given to people in need to eat (Sidali et al, 2011).

            It is also vital to note that food can be reproduced. This can be done by using a product that was not fit for consumption to make that which is fit foe consumption (Information Resources Management Association, 2013). For example fruits that over ripe need not to be thrown away but can be used to make juice. Milk that has gone bad can be used to make fermented products. It is therefore important to ensure that such foods that are recyclable should be collected and processed to ensure that food is not wasted at all.

            However, this will not help in eradicating the problem of hunger permanently but I only a temporary solution. This is because if proper planning is applied then the amounts of food that are deemed to be expired will reduce and re birth the hunger problem gain (Information Resources Management Association, 2013).

Substandard food

            This simply means foods of inferior quality that are not able to meet the minimum requirements. It is vital to note that quality foods come with a higher price and vice versa (Delaney & Madigan, 2014). This is to mean that people who may feed on low quality food may be as a result of financial instability. However the degree of quality is also an aspect that needs to be considered. This is because it can also cause diseases to people and especially the children (Delaney & Madigan, 2014). It is vital to note that some countries do not allow the people to consume substandard foods due to the aspect of food safety.

            However, there are some foods that may be considered to be substandard because they lack a particular nutrient and in some counties such foods are normally given to livestock to eat (Leal & Kovaleva, 2015).  An example is the yellow maize that is considered to be very substandard ad therefore given to livestock to eat in the United States yet people in some continents such as Africa need this food for survival.  This explains the fact that food that may be considered as substandard in a particular region may be of great help to others. This therefore means that food whatsoever should not be thrown away due to the reason of being substandard (Leal & Kovaleva, 2015). However, such food should not be given to children because their digestive systems may not be compatible to the same.

            It is vital to note that these foods may not have the nutritional value but help in reducing the number of people who go without foods due to various reasons (Leal & Kovaleva, 2015). However, it is vital to note that people should be advised to work hard in order to sustain their lives in terms of the basic needs despite the provision of the foods to the needy (Leal & Kovaleva, 2015).

Organic and conventional farming

            Study that has been carried out by the University of Minnesota shows that the conventional methods of farming out yielded the organic farming by approximately 26% (Chancellor, 2010). This was mostly for the grains and it also depended on the conditions. As discussed above, authors believe that a combination of the two would help to increase the production of food in the world instead of depending entirely on one system of farming (Chancellor, 2010).  Unfortunately, this is not the main reason of hunger according to the research. Nevertheless, critics of organic farming claim that the contentious gap between these two systems of farming is also an issue despite the results of the study that show that the gap is even smaller (Chancellor, 2010).

            This can be seen by the advancement in the seed breeding for the organic farming system and also with the evolution of the profitable and marketable organic farming to being expanded and differentiated farming systems that have proved to be over yielding (Information Resources Management Association, 2013). Research also states that organic produces are far much better than the conventional chemical based products in terms of being resistant to drought and also environmental distress.  This is a critical feature of the organic products because of the change in climate that has greatly affected the weather conditions (Information Resources Management Association, 2013).

            It is vital to note that half of the food that is consumed all around the globe has been produced by small scale farmers who use the organic methods of farming in agriculture (Yiannas, 2009). It is also evident that organic products are better for the health of individuals and also provide balanced diets and also in reducing the risk associated with agrochemicals in the soil and also in the human body.  Areas where the soils have been destroyed and degraded by the use of agrochemicals in farming can be improved by the use of agro ecological methods of farming that can help to increase the productivity of the soil by approximately 300% (Yiannas, 2009).

            Another method of combating hunger is to raise the productivity of the poor farmers. This can be made possible only if the farmers have an extra piece of land that can be used for the farming process (Delaney & Madigan, 2014). This will greatly reduce the problem of hunger and also ensure that they have sustainable income and also improve the living standards because they are able to sell the food to people and also have enough for consumption. It is evident that these farmers have used the conventional methods for quite a long time but the results proved futile (Delaney & Madigan, 2014).

            This raises the question; can conventional methods of farming provide food enough to feed the 10 billion people around the globe? The answer to this is uncertain because it is believed that the best way to completely eradicate hunger is to ensure that there is equality and enrich the poor people (Delaney & Madigan, 2014). As a result of this, it is evident that the agro ecological processes and the structural reformations all around the globe ensure that the poor farmers have resources such as land that can be used for the farming practices and every other resource that is needed to improve the standards of living. Food relief programs are adequate to ensure that people do not live with hunger but this is only a temporary solution because after the food is finished the state of hunger is restored back; however, provision for the land for farming is a long term solution because people will have enough to eat and sell (Delaney & Madigan, 2014).

Conclusion

            It is evident that the world grows enough food for all the people living in the planet and much more. However people still live with hunger and others die of the same. As discussed above, food wastage is one of the reasons that people live with hunger because the food that is wasted would have been used to feed the needy in the society. It is also evident that expired food is fit for consumption and should also be provided for the people in need to buy and eat or given for free. These reasons may be essential but only for the temporary relief of hunger. However, people need to be taught on the procedures to eradicate hunger for the long term. This can be achieved by providing land for the farmers to do farming and be able to provide for their families and improve their standards of living.

 

 

 

 

 

References

 

Sidali, K. L., Spiller, A., & Schulze, B. (2011). Food, agri-culture and tourism: Linking local      gastronomy and rural tourism : interdisciplinary perspectives. Berlin: Springer.

 

Yiannas, F. (2009). Food safety culture: Creating a behavior-based food safety management        system. New York: Springer.

 

Chancellor, D. (2010). Food waste. New York, NY: PowerKids Press.

 

Bloom, J. (2011). American wasteland: How America throws away nearly half of its food (and     what we can do about it). Cambridge, MA: Lifelong Books/Da Capo Press.

 

Delaney, T., & Madigan, T. (2014). Beyond sustainability: A thriving environment.

 

Information Resources Management Association. (2013). Supply chain management: Concepts,             methodologies, tools, and applications. Hershey, Pa: IGI Global (701 E. Chocolate           Avenue, Hershey, Pennsylvania, 17033, USA.

 

Leal, F. W., & Kovaleva, M. (2015). Food waste and sustainable food waste management in the Baltic Sea Region.