2019-01-12: Task 2 (Saudi Arabia; Egypt)

People waste a lot of food that was bought from shops and restaurants these days. What causes it and what solutions are possible.

Several factors contribute to food waste from the food-service industry outlets. Firstly, consumers seem to be willingly responsible for wasting a lot of food because they can afford to buy more than they can consume and throw away whatever food they do not need. Secondly, speaking of health risks, many well-to-do people would rather be safe than sorry, so they choose to discard food, thinking that older food and food that is past its expiry date would make them sick. Finally, even if the majority of consumers know that food waste is a problem, they are too stubborn to change the habit. As a result, nearly all excess food on the plate would go to the waste.

Any possible answer to the food-waste problem will involve changes in consumer behavior. People can implement small changes that make a big difference in the amount of food they throw away. Toward that end, the initial step is to ensure that food is eaten by humans. Failing that, the next step is to feed it to farm animals. But donating waste food to the people in hunger is not allowed by the government due to food-risk considerations. That risk, however insignificant, means that when choosing between giving away and throwing away, the least risky choice is the latter.

Despite the fact that wasting food is wrong, often it is easier for people to do the wrong thing. Ironically, while the realities of food waste today are becoming more evident than ever, wasting food is widely accepted. The old habits of throwing away food die hard.