I have a been reading everywhere in news channels regarding global food crisis. Its really a serious issue. There are many countries where there is not even sufficient food and then this food crisis has started.
Type words like Famine, hunger etc in Google, and you get several images popping up in front of your eyes of dying people, children suffering form ill-nutrition etc.
I was wondering if food crisis can really be evaded. In my opinion yes.
Presently I’m staying in Italy, here i noticed that people waste a lot of food, which otherwise can be used for feeding the needy people. Not just this they do this everyday and feel proud of it. There are many stories which I can give as examples.
1. One of my friend was working in a bakery as part time job. He told me that these people are very cautious about their taste. The workers in bakery were ordered by manager to make some bread using certain ingredients in specified amount. They prepared first sample, in which on investigation they found had some problem (some ingredient was not up to the right amount), as a result they threw all the raw material which was prepared for making that bread. This they repeated for some four times unless they got the right one ready. Each time they used to throw the raw material and prepare the new one. This is really a food wastage. Instead of throwing, one could have used it for some good purpose.
Ofcourse taste is also an important issue, if the customers don’t get required taste then they would start complaining or would perhaps look for some other shop. But then there should also be mutual understanding. There should be a feeling of acceptance and compromise, and most important trust in everyone.
2. I share my apartment with some people. Here these guys used to buy lot of food stuff in excitement when ever they used to go to supermarket. But after few days they used to throw some of those things, complaining that after such a long time they must have been spoiled. This is really stupid. Why don’t they buy just what they need ? I would say that one should plan before buying. And the other funny thing they do, suppose the bought 1 kilograms of kiwi, they ate some of it and kept the rest. After one week passed, they would smell it ans would ask, do you think it is still ok to eat it? I reply, cut them and check, and in any case they don’t get spoiled so quickly if you are preserving them in fridge. To this they would keep it back in fridge and after 2 weeks they would throw, as now they are sure. It was simply laziness that they didn’t want to check. Its not only waste of food but also waste of money.
Not only in Italy, but even in India also people are very reluctant in saving food. I tell one incident
3. I was a small child, perhaps around 12 years. After the school timings I used to spend the rest of evening in my grand ma’s house, watching TV, playing games etc. One day I was standing at the at the doorway of the house in the afternoon, watching half empty street. Half emptiness in common in northern India during peak time of summer, as people prefer to stay in coolers or AC’s rather roaming on street. I was just gazing at the street, watching activities of people roaming there by and looking at goats and cows. All of sudden my aunt appeared from inside of house with a big bowl full of wheat flour. She came to threw it as it has been contaminated by insects and worms, since it has not been used for long time. The wheat flour was thrown near the drain, so that by morning it is washed away by water or will be cleaned by sweeper in morning (it was common at that time to throw waste stuff near drain, from where they are picked by sweeper in morning). The moment it was thrown, after some 5 minutes a very poor lady appeared. She was dressed very shabbily, clothes torn from various parts, walking bare foot on road, looking as if she has not taken bath from many days may be months. She was very very poor women. Her hairs were looking like a piece of bush. She sat down near the place where the wheat flour was thrown, and then using the dirty water flowing in the drain she started making chapatis out of it right on road (chapatis are traditional Indian bread, made from water and wheat flour after preparing the dough). I felt very pity at her. After she prepared the dough, she put that in her shabby bag and went. My eyes were wet after that, and even now whenever I recall that, I feel pain at my heart.
One should not do all this.
If one use food properly in an required amount, they I think the we would get some help in solving the problem of “Food Crisis”.
It reminds me of my childhood days when I use to celebrate rainy days with samosa, pakoda chai chutney etc. and would even dance in rain.