Qatar Green Building Council (QGBC) of Qatar Foundation (QF) has hosted a webinar to discuss easy methods that can be incorporated into daily lifestyles to reduce food wastage, in the present pandemic situation.
Experts discussed methods of responsible shopping and how governments make policies to reduce food wastage.
The webinar featured Nodoka Nakamichi, Co-Founder/Marketing and PR Manager, QUBE; Kim Wyatt, TV Presenter and Food Writer & Co-Director; and Aisha Al Maadeed, Founder, Greener Future at the webinar. The discussion was led by Ruba Hinnawi, Technical Coordinator QGBC.
Food wastage accounts for around 7-10 percent of global greenhouse gases, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. And, in Qatar alone, nearly 60 percent of the total domestic waste is organic, and comes from within the home.
In the backdrop of this situation, when COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic — and nations began locking down — stockpiling goods became a worldwide issue, and in turn many perishables were wasted.
Nakamichi said that the freezer can be our best friend. “If you can see that things are going to go off, put it in your freezer. I think people will be surprised with the amount of things you can actually freeze for later consumption.”
Wyatt also spoke in the same lines and said that people should utilize their freezer – it’s as it is great way of reducing food wastage.
“And saving money, too. The other plus on reducing food wastage and storing it well is that you will save money, reducing your food bill and reducing the amount of times you need to go to the supermarket,” she added.
Another key topic within the discussion was about holy month of Ramadan, which started last week, and how, because of COVID-19, the world is experiencing a new side of the holy month, including smaller tables and no gatherings.
“Statistically, Ramadan is one of the peak times of the year for excess food wastage, and I think that’s certainly a cultural part of society, because food is love. And like any celebration, we want to share with our guests; we want to show our appreciation and our love. And it’s prevalent throughout different cultures around the world, be it birthdays, weddings, or other occasions,” said Wyatt.
While AlMaadeed suggested solutions such as portion control and asking family members what they would like for Iftar ahead of preparing meals.
The panelists also addressed how to choose produce at supermarkets highlighted the importance of seasonal buying. “Things that are in season have the least carbon footprint because there is less storage. Buy local produce. Qatar is doing a great job at growing vegetables locally — they’re expanding every week, growing so many different varieties. I think the most important thing we can do is support the local market,” said Nakamichi.
Panelists also called for new government policies and legislation by citing South Korea, which has reduced the nation’s food wastage immensely. But the panellists agreed that reducing food wastage is about individuals taking small, sustainable steps.
