F

ood is still taken for granted. With millions still living below the poverty line, it'€™s surprising to learn that an estimated one-third of all food produced globally '€” or 1.3 billion tons worth around US$1 trillion '€” ends up in trash bins each year.

The amount, according to the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), is enough to feed some 870 million hungry people several times over.

With such a huge amount of food going to waste, the World Environment Day focus on food loss and waste on June 5 is perfect timing.

The '€œThink. Eat. Save. Reduce Your Foodprint'€ campaign encourages people across the globe, to be aware of the environmental implications of their food choices and find ways to reduce their ecological '€œfoodprint'€.

With food ending up as waste, everything that is being done throughout the production process, from the farm to the table, is going straight down the drain. Not only does such production sap a lot of costs, energy and time but it also uses up natural resources and damages the environment.

Currently, the world'€™s food production is the largest single source of greenhouse gases, biodiversity loss and land-use change. It also accounts for 25 percent of livable land and uses 70 percent of the world'€™s most precious resource '€” freshwater '€” often very inefficiently, resulting in various problems, from groundwater depletion and pollution to the disruption of important ecological systems.

People certainly have a right to food, but a few simple changes in habits '€” be they at the farm, the home, the supermarket, restaurants, hotels or other places where food is prepared and consumed '€” would significantly contribute to change. It is sad to see how food, after being carefully grown and painstakingly processed, is wasted.

It is time to share responsibility and take action, such as by shopping smartly, planning meals and using shopping lists to avoid impulse buying. It poses no harm to check the pantry to cook and eat the food bought first, or ask for smaller portions when dining out.

One can also be creative with food leftovers, as well as feel no shame in packaging leftovers to take home from a restaurant.

Many world communities, including Indonesia are known for their traditional food preservation practices, from salting fish to smoking meat.

Learning from the experience and the mounting food waste, it is time to start taking action before more food end up as waste.