THE GLOBAL WINDOW OF TURKISH FOOD AND AGRICULTURE The Global Window of Turkish Food and Agriculture Sector
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The Sustainable Production and Consumption Association (SÜT-D) has drawn attention to the impact of food waste on hunger, budgets and climate change in a statement released as part of the 16th European Waste Reduction Week.
With the slogan “Let’s not throw it away, let’s reduce the budget and carbon footprint of our table”, SÜT-D urged everyone to be sensitive to food waste.
FOOD WASTE HAS LOST ITS FLAVOUR…
The 16th European Waste Reduction Week, which takes place between 16-24 November 2024, aims to raise awareness with the theme “Food Waste Has Lost its Taste”. Professor Dr. Filiz Karaosmanoğlu, Istanbul Technical University Faculty Member and Chairwoman of SÜT-D, stated that more than 1 billion meals of food are wasted worldwide every day. Pointing out that this amount is 1.3 times the daily need of 735 million people suffering from hunger, she said, “The amount of food wasted from the field to our table is frightening. Let’s not throw it away, let’s protect both our budget and our planet.”
STAGGERING FIGURES: 931 MILLION TONNES OF FOOD GOES TO WASTE
According to the latest data from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), 931 million tonnes of food is wasted worldwide every year.
569 million tonnes from households,
244 million tonnes from the food service sector,
118 million tonnes of it originates from the retail sector.
Dr. Karaosmanoğlu highlighted that these figures not only create economic losses, but also make a serious contribution to climate change by consuming the planet’s resources.
SÜT-D’S CALL FOR “DON’T THROW AWAY”
Since its establishment in 2013, SÜT-D has been working to promote a culture of sustainable production and consumption. Indicating that reducing food waste is critical for climate-resilient agriculture and sustainable development goals, Dr. Karaosmanoğlu added, “By reducing food waste, we can reduce our carbon footprint and protect the natural capital of our planet as well.”
