HALF the world's food is wasted every year, says a report from the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.
Half that bought in Europe and the US is thrown away and up to 30% of vegetables in the UK are not harvested because of their physical appearance.
Dr Tim Fox said: "The amount of food wasted and lost around the world is staggering. This is food that could be used to feed the world's growing population - as well as those in hunger today.”
Supermarkets don't help, of course, with their Buy One Get One Free offers. My wife and I don't always want the bulk you have to buy to get the bargain. Why not just half the price? We don't throw away an excessive amount of food but we are as guilty as everybody else.
Left over boiled potatoes are fried the next day and a Sunday roast is eaten cold the rest of the week. But there is still waste.
Unfortunately, we live in a rich and disposable society, compared to the rest of the world.
We have got into the habit of being able to buy almost any food item from the corner shop or supermarket and it gives us a false sense of productivity.
One of these days, food – and water – will get scarce.
The report says that producing all the food that is discarded is a waste of the world's resources, including the water we use to grow it.
There is already a water shortage that will get more severe as the world population expands.
The Global Water Crisis report presented to the UN last year warned the planet would become destabilised if it wasn't tackled.
At the moment, the Western world may appear to be a land of plenty. But what might it be like in another 50 years?
A global water shortage could change the world.
