September 29, 2021 -- International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste

United Nations / Food and Agriculture Organization announce:

 

29 September 2021

International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste

 

 

FAO's Nine Tips for Reducing Food Waste

1. Start Small – Take smaller portions at home or share large dishes at restaurants.

2. Leave Nothing Behind – Keep your leftovers for another meal or use them in a different dish.

3. Buy Only What You Need – Make a list of what you need and stick to it. Don’t buy more than you can use.

4. Don’t Be Prejudiced -- Buy “ugly” or irregularly shaped fruits and vegetables. They are just as good but look a little different.

5. Check Your Fridge – Store food between 1 and 5 degrees Celsius (33.8 and 41 degrees Fahrenheit) for maximum freshness and shelf-life.

6. First in, First Out – Try using produce you bought previously (freeze or pickle). Stack up your fridge and cupboards moving older products to the front and newer ones in the back.

 

7. Understand Dates -- “Use by” indicates a date by which the food is safe to be eaten, while “best before” means the food’s quality is best prior to that date, but is still safe to eat after it. The "Sell by" date is helpful for stock rotation by manufacturers and retailers.
 

8. Compost – Some food waste might be unavoidable, so why not set up a compost bin.

 

9. Donate the Surplus – Sharing is caring.

 

Source: http://www.fao.org/zhc/detail-events/en/c/889172/

#ZeroHungerHero #NotWasting #KitchenMemories

2021: The International Year of Fruits and Vegetables

The Food and Agriculture Organization

of the United Nations Declare

2021 - The International Year of Fruits and Vegetables

Brief Overview:

 

In general, the goals of program are outreach and assistance:

• To increase awareness of the value of fruit and vegetables for better health outcomes.
• To reduce lossage and waste in the production, harvest, storage, and transportation of fruit and vegetables.
  
• To promote and improve sustainable food systems.
• To focus on assistance and inclusion of small farmers.
• To adapt and improve technology and approaches to combat food waste.
  

Essentially, we are not eating enough vegetables. The World Health Organization recommends 400g of fruit and vegetables a day. It's hard to believe that for some it's hard to find and eat enough fruits and vegetables equal to a can of corn or mixed vegetables.

 

Lack of fruits and vegetables in our diet can lead to increases in gastro-intestinal cancers, ischemic heart disease or stroke according to the FAO publication, Fruit and Vegetables - Your Dietary Essentials.

 

Barriers to increasing consumption of fruit and vegetables include: availability, affordability, lack of knowledge and competition from processed food products.

 

The FAO wants its member nations to focus on:

• ways to increase production and consumption of fruits and vegetables to diversify our diet.
  
• methods to decrease perishability and waste in the food chain.
• education and promotional options to increase awareness of the value of a diversified diet.
  

 

References and Resources:

 

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

http://www.fao.org/fruits-vegetables-2021/en/

 

A Healthy Diet Sustainably Produced

https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/WHO-NMH-NHD-18.12

 

Pocket Guide for a Healthy Diet

https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/208306

 

Here’s What It Looks Like to Get 8 Servings of Vegetables in a Day

https://helloveggie.co/8-servings-of-vegetables/ 

 

My Plate

https://www.myplate.gov/