Millions of Tons of Food are Wasted all over the World IELTS Writing Task 2

Our country is very popular for turning social gatherings into large events that call for a variety of dishes. This is usually done as people believe more food in events is a sign of prosperity and wealth. Most of the occasions in India revolve around how great the food is. People don’t usually take a count of people when it comes to food. A survey conducted shows that 40% food is usually wasted on family occasions such as weddings, birthday parties and during festivals. It is unfortunate that the rich are rich enough to waste food while there are lakhs of people in our country who go days without a meal. This just goes to show the gap between the rich and the poor have only grown wider over the years.

Another cause for wastage of food is because of lack of awareness. People tend to hoard food items that are eventually wasted. This needs to stop. Food must be rationed. Since we are in the midst of a pandemic, it clearly shows our celebrations need to be limited to a smaller crowd that could both save lives as well limit food wastage. It must be ensured that it should go to people who are in need of a meal. It is vital that we work towards reducing wastage and helping people who are under extreme poverty with timely meals. This will assist in closing the gap between the wealthy and the poor. Even simple restaurants can cater to less wastage by explaining the quantity explicitly to customers. That way it helps make them an informed decision which can lead to less wastage.

One of our finest examples of almost no food wastage is at ‘Langar’ offered at the Gurudwaras. They specifically explain to us to only request to be served the quantity we want. We must lead by example and work towards zero wastage. Accordingly, the impact of loss and waste of food can be felt by those who are extremely poor and do not have the ability to afford two meals a day. Moreover, the pollution created by the wastage of food lads to water logging in many areas and hence, affects everyone. It is essential that people are able to value the food and not waste them. 

Individuals with greater personal income have less appreciation for food and are more likely to throw food away after eating rather than putting it in the refrigerator for the next meal. Fresh vegetables, meat, and fish are now available at a reasonable price for middle-class shoppers, and many of them are prepared to abandon the food as soon as their stomachs are satisfied.

Another factor is that the food business has been rapidly evolving, with a wide range of options and marketing tactics that entice consumers to spend money on food. Food commercials that have been digitally manipulated to elicit a desire for a variety of delectable foods frequently interrupt television shows. As a result, it's not unexpected that customers don't feel compelled to save food they haven't eaten for later use.

Food waste, on the other hand, is not an insurmountable problem. The easiest thing the government can do is ramp up public awareness programmes with the goal of altering people's attitudes about food consumption. To bring the public's attention to the problem, the negative consequences of food waste on the environment should be emphasized through posters and television shows. A high tax on the food business should also be enforced, as this may cause the price of ordinary food to rise, deterring people from taking food for granted.

This needs to be brought to everyone’s attention that food wastage is a huge offence. It is especially sickening and saddening for a country that has widespread poverty and people dying of starvation. It is absolutely vital that the government makes it a point to fine people if noted to be wasting food. This can easily be implemented in restaurants where they can be additionally fined if noted that food has been wasted. Even as simple as encouraging people to pack the leftovers after dining somewhere could help a lot.

The causes of the problem differ. The major reason is that when people's living standards rise, food, which is viewed as a physiological necessity in Maslow's Hierarchy, depreciates. Another obvious explanation is that young people, who account for over half of the world's population, have not been instilled with a culinary appreciation by earlier generations. This is due to the recent exponential increase in food waste.

To reduce food waste, a variety of robust measures must be taken. The government may establish action plans to enhance consumer knowledge of food appreciation and to help them become more conscientious consumers and attentive eaters. This might be accomplished by including individuals in global food initiatives such as the anti-food waste campaign Think.Eat.Save. When it comes to food merchants, they may help by handing out posters or brochures to every single client that walks into a shopping centre, supermarket, or restaurant, or by putting up posters in restaurants to urge consumers to utilise food wisely and become a leftovers expert.

These measures can undoubtedly contribute to the creation of a more sustainable future.

To summarise, there are clear reasons why a large amount of food is wasted in many parts of the globe. A variety of treatments might be used to combat this bad tendency, such as raising public awareness of the importance of utilizing food wisely with the aid of the government and food stores. If these measures are implemented immediately, we will gradually see change for the better.