Food for thought about wasting food

Today people have more food to eat than ever before. Technology has made it possible to produce surplus food in many countries. Improved marketing chains have made it possible to deliver food at peoples' doorsteps. And yet, in spite of all this progress, there have always been pockets where some people can't get enough to eat. Food is unlike other products people produce. Its wastage has never been encouraged. 

Before agriculture, people would hunt for food. The survival of a community depended on the skills of their hunters. When food was available, people would feast. When it wasn't available, people would pray for the hunters to come back home victorious. After the domestication of animals, it was possible to have a stock of food, but domesticated animals need grass to survive. Thus in many places of the world, people would become nomadic tribes moving from one green pasture to another. The advent of agriculture meant people no longer needed to hunt for food, but the problem of food security wasn't over. In the Ganges-Brahmaputra delta, where Bangladesh stands today, there were only two seasons for harvest. Outside the harvest seasons, there were many who had to go without food as some still do today. 

May be this is why it's been passed down from one generation to the next: do not waste food. How are we doing today though? 

Scenario 1: You've gone to a restaurant. Food is being served in a buffet. You've paid for the food. You start with salad and soup. It's highly probable you didn't see the whole selection on offer. You didn't like the salad or the soup, but you ate it. For the second course, you take some chicken and then some vegetables. You now see salmon. It's been ages since you've had salmon. What do you do? You fill your plate with more than you could handle. You go back to your table. Before you start the second course, ask yourself: did you take more food than you would have been able to eat? Chances are very high, the answer is yes. 

Scenario 2: A defining feature of modern life is the supermarket. Here you get all you want under one roof. In the olden days, people would buy things separately and pay separately. In the supermarket, you take a trolley. You walk slowly down the aisles. You see nice offers. Some you can resist. Others you can't. Once you reach the check-out, it's not over. There are nice sweets, batteries, and many other little items. You buy some. Ask yourself again: did you buy more food and other items than you would have needed? Is the answer once again a yes?

Scenario 3: Let's go back to the restaurant and the supermarket. Many food items are sold with a quick expiry date. Countries have laws that don't allow vendors to sell expired food. What happens? The food you failed to consume at the restaurant or a wedding may well be thrown away, and also many food products are now out of date. 

If you and I were the only people wasting food or buying too much food, a drop in an ocean won't make a difference. Unfortunately, we're not the only ones. Like it or not, whether intentional or unintentional, many of us do waste food. Next time, you waste food, think about the many people in our country and other countries, who still find it difficult to have enough to eat. Humans have fought food-security, but food shortage for some is still a biting reality. That's food for thought that's difficult to waste.

Asrar Chowdhury teaches economic theory and game theory in the classroom. Outside he listens to music and BBC Radio; follows Test Cricket; and plays the flute. He can be reached at: asrar.chowdhury@facebook.com