World Environment Day, 5th June, 2013

The World Environment Day celebrated every year on the 5^th of June has now become a global celebration to focus and analyse efforts towards saving our planet. The theme for this year’s World Environment Day is Think. Eat. Save. (Campaign to discourage wastes and loss of food)¹.

The focus on environment and reducing wastes simultaneously makes us better citizens and also improves our lifestyle. Less waste means more savings and better usage of resources thereby maximising efficiency and reducing costs in the long run. This is true for any organisation right from a single household to a big company.

Economic instability caused by unrest such as wars worsen the food security situation. Food security does not simply mean having access to food but having access to nutritious food by all sections of the population. In India, an ambitious food security bill tries to achieve the same. Read more about food security bill here.

Food security finds a mention in the Millennium Development Goals (MDG’s) and eradicating extreme poverty and hunger remains a challenge² for most developing world economies. Read more about MDG’s here.

The Indian scenario is a bit different since our primary concern remains buffer and storage. Food wastage needs to be curbed at each and every level right from households to the larger government schemes if we are to effectively achieve food security. The domestic food supply should be able to satisfy the requirements of its citizens in an ideal scenario. Production had always remained in focus and sometimes wrongfully cloaks the priority of rightful consumption of food. While the sustainable agricultural practices ensuring optimum production is a must, the effective storage along with rightful consumption of food with minimum wastage is a crucial step in ensuring the larger objective of achieving food security.

Both situations of undernourishment and obesity are a challenge because both create an unproductive workforce. Right nourishment with good, healthy, nutritious food is what a person must get. To achieve this, we must minimise wastage. That is unforgivable.

We wish our readers a very green World Environment Day 2013!

1. http://www.unep.org/wed/theme/

2. http://www.fao.org/hunger/en/