We waste aorund 50% of the world's food
Discussion
princealbert23 said:
What does this have to do with Mechanical Engineering was the thought that first popped into my head
A huge amount when you look beyond the headlines about supermarkets in developed countries.In the developing world, most of the wastage occurs because of inadequate harvesting, transportation and storage - inefficient machinery, lengthy times to market (or limited to local area), lack of chilled storage, unreliable power supply, and so on.
A country like India could feed many, many more people with their existing crops if they had the infrastructure and expertise of Tesco.
All the sort of things that mechanical engineers have the skills to overcome. Basically, the purpose of the report is to encourage greater employment of their members.
mattikake said:
Lets be realistic though, this problem wouldn't exist without capitalism.
Because alternative economic systems have proved sooooo adept at food production, haven't they?
Doesn't the report blame a lot on the losses on wastage at the harvesting/transport stage in the Third World (I've no doubt that's my fault too, somehow), how is that to blame on capitalism?
ninja-lewis said:
A country like India could feed many, many more people with their existing crops if they had the infrastructure and expertise of Tesco.
The trouble is that the masses have been programmed by (mostly) supermarkets to think that quantity=good value, more=better quality=quantity etc. The idea that value=quality and not just as much as you can get your fat fingers on, is long gone as far as the masses are concerned.
Thats now so engrained in people that you're fighting a losing battle if you think you're goingto change it. Most people are greedy b
ds and lap up the BOGOF deals like theres no tomorrow only to bin most of it.
As one other poster says, if they've paid for it they can do what they like with it, and thats true but it's a totally insane situation to be in in the first place.
Thats now so engrained in people that you're fighting a losing battle if you think you're goingto change it. Most people are greedy b
ds and lap up the BOGOF deals like theres no tomorrow only to bin most of it.As one other poster says, if they've paid for it they can do what they like with it, and thats true but it's a totally insane situation to be in in the first place.
Guam said:
mattikake said:
I reckon supermarkets are missing a trick bigtime - people want very cheap food and there is it, being thrown away.
Lets be realistic though, this problem wouldn't exist without capitalism. The pressures of supermarket wanting quality (and deciding what they will pay for it, than the other way around!). Monocultures "advised" by the IMF, WHO and WB into producing the stuff as fast as possible, in an evironment not suiting to farming, because these countries owe us for bailing them out of repeated famines... from failed crops... cyclic or what? That's the same monocultures where 19,000 children die from starvation every day... just so you can get your cheap goods... that you then bin 50% of.
The decadent immorality of humanity beggars belief sometimes.
Well they have very little waste in North Korea, perhaps you should move there as you feel its the capitalist system at fault, then you can starve in the smug knowledge you beat "the man".Lets be realistic though, this problem wouldn't exist without capitalism. The pressures of supermarket wanting quality (and deciding what they will pay for it, than the other way around!). Monocultures "advised" by the IMF, WHO and WB into producing the stuff as fast as possible, in an evironment not suiting to farming, because these countries owe us for bailing them out of repeated famines... from failed crops... cyclic or what? That's the same monocultures where 19,000 children die from starvation every day... just so you can get your cheap goods... that you then bin 50% of.
The decadent immorality of humanity beggars belief sometimes.
grumbledoak said:
mattikake said:
Anyone truly surprised by this news needs to take a good look at themselves. I hate seeing people throw even their own food away.
Oh, fk off. If I've paid for it I can and will do what I like with it. And no, if it looks st, I won't buy it in the first place.Go shopping in a supermarket in spain, and you will see mis-shapen peppers, onions - everything. People there buy the food for the taste. In the UK everything is perfect, 'we' search through the tray of apples/peppers/courgettes searching for the perfect ones - and the non perfect ones are left behind, and subsequently thrown away. It has nothing to do with capitalism (whoever stated that is an ignorant blinkered t
t)Edited by JensenA on Saturday 12th January 13:57
JensenA said:
grumbledoak said:
mattikake said:
Anyone truly surprised by this news needs to take a good look at themselves. I hate seeing people throw even their own food away.
Oh, fk off. If I've paid for it I can and will do what I like with it. And no, if it looks st, I won't buy it in the first place.Go shopping in a supermarket in spain, and you will see mis-shapen peppers, onions - everything. People there buy the food for the taste. In the UK everything is perfect, 'we' search through the tray of apples/peppers/courgettes searching for the perfect ones - and the non perfect ones are left behind, and subsequently thrown away. It has nothing to do with capitalism (whoever stated that is an ignorant blinkered t
t)Edited by JensenA on Saturday 12th January 13:57
So they don't pay for the waste, and the consumer doesn't see it...
Use by dates are appalling. And fixed way beyond what would reasonably be determined for food safety.
Sweet potatoes last for months and months. Suppliers to the supermarkets will be packing the exact same consignment for weeks, well past the initial offering to the supermarket is long out of date. One thing that unfortunately can't be pinned on the EU, as we're actually exporting that piece of legislation...
durbster said:
Here's one solution; instead of a use by date, have a little box that explains how to tell if the food is off or not.
So on a carton of milk, instead of:
USE BY 05 02 2012
It should say:
USE UNTIL IT HAS LUMPS IN IT / STINKS OF FEET
Yep, there's absolutely no need for use by or best before dates on anything vegetable. Should just say 'DON' T EAT SLIME'. So on a carton of milk, instead of:
USE BY 05 02 2012
It should say:
USE UNTIL IT HAS LUMPS IN IT / STINKS OF FEET
We could do a lot better at teaching kids about food at a young age. Far too many people grow up to believe cooking is some form of dark art.
One of the firm's I worked for did visits to local primary schools and supported them in setting up veg patches. It was incredible how many children of 8-11 couldn't even recognise a tomato or a whole potato.
Johnnytheboy said:
Actually the more I think about capitalism being to blame, the sillier it becomes.
Quite. The alternate system recently trialled by our Dogwatch said:
ninja-lewis said:
A country like India could feed many, many more people with their existing crops if they had the infrastructure and expertise of Tesco.
The lead writer of the report commented elsewhere that:
IMechE chap said:
I saw a cabbage farm in Russia where they trimmed the cabbages every time they handled them. Started off decent sizes, ended up like sprouts. No-one thought of picking into crates then handling the crates.
I've looked at losses in Ukrainian grain stores. We measured up to 60% loss between field and end user due to bad combines, leaky trucks, wet storage buildings, broken fans etc.
India admits to losing 21 million tons of wheat and 40+ million tons of fruits and veg every year and a couple of years ago, Ghana lost 50% of the entire maize crop. It all adds up.
I also investigate losses in UK for insurance companies. It's amazing how much is lost by thoughtless or careless handling - often by companies that should know better. One of the first I looked at was a 35,000 ton ship load of grain that rotted because no-one thought to check the moisture content when it was loaded.[quote]
To put the India's wheat losses into perspective, 21 million tonnes is in the region of the total annual production of countries like Germany, Canada and Australia. It accounts for a 25% of India's own wheat production. In Britain we produce almost of all our milling wheat demand domestically - 15 million tonnes to feed 60 million people on a Western diet.
I've looked at losses in Ukrainian grain stores. We measured up to 60% loss between field and end user due to bad combines, leaky trucks, wet storage buildings, broken fans etc.
India admits to losing 21 million tons of wheat and 40+ million tons of fruits and veg every year and a couple of years ago, Ghana lost 50% of the entire maize crop. It all adds up.
I also investigate losses in UK for insurance companies. It's amazing how much is lost by thoughtless or careless handling - often by companies that should know better. One of the first I looked at was a 35,000 ton ship load of grain that rotted because no-one thought to check the moisture content when it was loaded.[quote]
To put the India's wheat losses into perspective, 21 million tonnes is in the region of the total annual production of countries like Germany, Canada and Australia. It accounts for a 25% of India's own wheat production. In Britain we produce almost of all our milling wheat demand domestically - 15 million tonnes to feed 60 million people on a Western diet.
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