Turkey Wastes 7.7 Million Tons of Food Annually

Turkey Wastes 7.7 Million Tons of Food Annually According to the United Nations 2021 Food Waste Index Report, Turkey wastes 93 kilograms of food per capita annually, totaling 7.7 million tons. Global food waste approaches 1.3 billion tons. The weight of food wasted in Turkey alone in one year is equivalent to 147 Titanic ships or 762 Eiffel Towers.

Solving hunger is not about producing more, but about conscious consumption

According to a 2013 UN Food and Agriculture Organization study, preventing food waste globally could reduce food production by 60 percent. While world population is expected to reach 9 billion within 30 years, feeding that population will require a 70 percent increase in food production compared to current consumption levels. The UN states that this amount can also be met by reducing food waste. Çağla Akbaş and Yaren Arıkan, students at İTÜ Geliştirme Vakfı Okulları, Ekrem Elginkan High School, were awarded second prize in the 2022 High School Student Research Projects Competition organized by TÜBİTAK for their project titled "Take Only What You Eat," which falls under the Geography Thematic Area of Sustainable Development. The students' project was also featured in the Istanbul Europe Regional Exhibition held on 14-16 March. The students initially determined through research conducted at their school that food waste in Turkey could be significantly prevented through an awareness-raising campaign. The project, prepared in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, was developed with the goal of 'prevention,' the first stage of the waste hierarchy, and aimed to increase consumer awareness. For one month, the students posted flyers and posters in various locations around the school and provided information on the menu about foods that went uneaten. As a result of the awareness campaign, the students determined by the end of the first month that food waste at Ekrem Elginkan High School had decreased by 34 percent. Thanks to the project, resources previously spent on transporting and disposing of two tons of food annually at the school were saved, and the carbon footprint generated during the production, logistics, and disposal of food was reduced. If similar projects become widespread and are adapted to daily life, food waste in Turkey could be reduced by 2 million tons.

Recommendations for Parents to Prevent Food Waste

The İTÜ GVO Counseling Service offers the following recommendations for parents to change their children's consumption habits and prevent food waste: Be a Role Model: Children typically learn by imitating their surroundings; parents' conscious behavior regarding food is the most important factor in helping children acquire this awareness at an early age. Teach How Food is Produced: Having children see agricultural production fields or participating in growing a fruit or vegetable in a pot at home will help them think twice before wasting food, as they will understand the journey food takes. Reduce Meal Portions: Greed is a primary cause of food waste. By keeping meal portions reasonable, you can prevent food waste. Serve Meals Attractively: Many children reject a meal because of its appearance; serve foods they dislike but must eat for healthy nutrition in a creative and fun way. Include Children in Meal and Snack Preparation: If the child is old enough to participate in the cooking process, they should be involved in age-appropriate tasks during meal and snack preparation. This way they will understand the value of effort and become less picky about the food on their plate. Food Points Scoring Game: Create a weekly chart listing the foods and meals served at each meal. At the end of the day, ask your child why certain foods were not eaten and score what they did eat. Set rewards for point scales on a chart prepared on a 10-point daily scale and 70-point weekly scale. This way you can encourage your child's conscious consumption efforts.