Why a food bank makes sense

Addressing wastage will have positive social, economic and environmental effects

Huge amounts of food end up as landfill every year. Asmaa Al Hameli / The National

The establishment of the UAE Food Bank, announced this week, will address two important issues: food waste and hunger brought on by poverty. As The National reported yesterday, the food bank will work with authorities and charities to collect excess food from hotels, supermarkets, restaurants and farms, and feed people in need in this country and abroad.

This much-needed initiative is evidence of the Government’s commitment to the spirit of the newly-dubbed Year of Giving. Huge amounts of food end up as landfill every year. In Abu Dhabi, for example, between 35 and 50 per cent of the total waste generated is food – and the percentage is much higher during Ramadan. Some wastage cannot be avoided, but edible excess food can and should be recycled according to strict health and safety standards and given to the needy.

Tackling food waste will also address economic and environmental concerns. Economically, food loss represents a wasted investment. Reducing waste, by being careful in our purchases and distributing any excess food items to those in need, can save a lot money that can be used elsewhere. There are savings to be made in limiting the costs of rubbish collection and its transport to tips or incinerators.

On the environmental front, dumping food waste can have negative effects on ecosystems and water supplies. Some experts say that cutting food waste could be a significant factor in tackling climate change.

There are positive examples of organisations around the world that have succeeded in substantially reducing food waste. For instance, the Love Food Hate Waste programme in the United Kingdom aimed at consumers has managed to reduce food waste by about 21 per cent and saved about Dh7.7 million.

Less food wastage, and redirecting unused edible food to thoese who might otherwise go hungry, means more efficiency and greater social responsibility.