#StopTheWaste Campaign by UN WFP

#StopTheWaste is a movement for change, launched by the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP). It aims to highlight the global issue of food waste and underline simple solutions we can all take to prevent it. The campaign aims to raise awareness about the important role individuals, groups, the wider community and the overall society can play in reducing food waste, especially in light of the fact that while world food production has reached record levels in recent years, one third of the world’s food is either lost or wasted. This exacerbates world hunger and contributes to the unprecedented increase in the number of people suffering from hunger worldwide, a number which reached 821 million in 2018.

Key messages imparted by WFP, as part of the campaign are as follows:

• Everyone can play a part to #StopTheWaste. There is enough food to feed the world’s 7 billion people, yet one in nine people goes to bed hungry every night. 
• Globally, one-third of the food produced for human consumption is lost or wasted, amounting to about 1.3 billion tons per year. The financial cost of food wastage is substantial, amounting to about US$1 trillion each year. This is a problem that clearly must be solved if we are to achieve Zero Hunger by 2030. 
• We need to stop wasting food because it’s not just about the food – it’s also about money, labour, resources such as energy, land, seeds and water that go into producing food. Also, wasting food increases greenhouse gas emissions and contributes to climate change.

  UN tips on reducing food waste  (http://www.fao.org/3/a-i7059e.pdf)

• Ask for smaller portions – you can always ask for, or order, more
• Love your leftovers – use them as ingredients in tomorrow’s meal
• Shop smart – make a shopping list, don’t shop on an empty stomach
• Buy ugly fruits and vegetables – they’re just as tasty
• Check your fridge – set it to between 1 and 5 degrees, don’t pack it too full
• Practice FIFO – first in, first out of your fridge
• Understand dates on your food – ‘use by’ is not the same as ‘best by’
• Turn waste into compost – turn it into ‘garden food’
• Sharing is caring – give surplus food to those in need

Check out the below Q&A from WFP to understand the campaign objectives:

Q – What was the inspiration behind #StopTheWaste? 

A – #StopTheWaste was designed to spotlight food waste and highlight simple solutions that we can all take to prevent it, while shining a light on the paradox of huge amounts of food being lost or thrown away while one in nine goes hungry across the world. 

Q – Why are you running this campaign? 

A – There is enough food to feed the world’s 7 billion people. But still, one in nine people goes to bed on an empty stomach each night. #StopTheWaste is an easy entry point to remind people to be aware of their food choices, and that hunger still exists. 

Q – What’s the link between global hunger and food waste? 

A – Hunger remains one of our most solvable challenges. The world produces more than enough food to feed everyone. In some developing countries, up to 40 percent of food produced is lost before it even leaves the farm gate.  

Q – Are you asking people to donate through this campaign? 

A – #StopTheWaste’s primary goal is to raise awareness among the general public to be more conscious of food waste – one of the fundamental steps toward eradicating global hunger – by asking them to look in their refrigerator and create a meal out of ingredients they might otherwise throw away. 

Q – How long will the campaign run? 

A – #StopTheWaste will initially run until the end of October 2019 but we hope it continues much longer. 

Q – Where can I go to learn more about the campaign? 

A – Visit wfp.org/foodwaste

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