World Environment Day - How You Can Contribute

Think, Eat, Save and reduce your Foodprint — the theme of this year's World Environment Day sounds simple enough, and its aim is to combat food waste. Food waste is something that isn't even on the radar of many people living in developed economies. Yet, the United Nations Food and Agriculture organization says that a whopping 1.3 billion tons of food go to waste every year. Shockingly, that amount is equivalent to all the food produced in sub-Saharan Africa on an annual basis.

These are painful facts, and apparently we need something like World Environment Day to even bring them to our attention.

It is obvious that the Earth is dealing with a problem; a gigantic imbalance in resources, money, and food. You don't need to travel to a Third World country to encounter hunger, but you will need to look beyond developed western nations to find citizens who are dying from a lack of food. Most SteadyHealth readers will fall into the category of Earth dwellers who are relatively privileged, and many of you are lucky enough to be in a position to let food go to waste on occasion.

You've have probably been there. You have worked late, and bought a sandwich instead of eating the food in your fridge. You have been unsure if that lettuce was still edible and decided to throw it out. You may have taken your other half out for a meal spontaneously while letting your planned meal go to waste. Or, you may simply have bought more that you can actually eat.

If you are guilty of one of these “crimes”, World Environment Day is a fantastic opportunity for you to start making changes within your own household and beyond. Everyone can contribute, and even if you are already a “green” person, you can still do more.

So take a moment to Think, Eat, and Save and reduce your “Foodprint”. Think about the people who are malnourished and at risk of dying from hunger, and think about your own attitude toward food. Eat, but responsible foods produced locally in healthy ways. And save — your money, your own health, and the environment.