It’s lunch time. You line up in the cafeteria, get your hamburger and sit down. After you eat half of it you decide that you’re full. Then you walk to to the trash can and throw the other half of your hamburger in the trash and don’t give it a second thought. Why would you? It’s just half of a hamburger, and it’s not like you’re the only one who does it.Then you’re off to your next class.
In the fifteen minutes it takes you to get your lunch, eat half, and throw the other half away, around 270 people die of hunger.
Americans waste 90 billion pounds worth of food per year.
Americans waste $165 billion dollars worth of food per year.
Americans waste countless lives worth of food per year.
So let me ask you: Are you giving that half a hamburger a second thought now?
Millions of people die of starvation every year. Americans waste millions of tons of food every year. See the problem? Millions of people die every year because they were born in a poor family most likely in a poor country. That’s not a fair reason to die. Just because you weren’t born in a rich country. I don’t think most Americans care that so many people in poorer die of starvation. If they do then why do they continue to waste so much food?
In India alone, around 7000 people die of hunger every day. 7000 family members. 7000 friends. 7000 human beings. If this was the case the U.S. it would be a huge deal. But since it’s all the way in India it doesn’t matter, right? Not our problem. We just go on wasting millions of tons of food everyday like it’s nothing. No biggy.
If you think about it food waste is only a modern problem. The native Americans knew that it was bad to waste food so they used every piece of the animals they killed. We have gotten worse at using all our food over time. What I don’t know is why. It’s not hard to eat leftovers and compost old food. In fact it’s quite easy. Americans have either gotten lazier or pickier, or both. And those are two traits that you won’t find useful in many situations.
It’s true that world hunger is lessening. According to the World Hunger Programme, there are 156 million less hungry people in the world since the 1990. That seems like a lot but there are still around 842 million people that do not get enough food to maintain their health everyday. While world hunger is still a big issue, American food waste is on the rise. Since the 70’s food waste has gone up by 50% in America. So, what I don’t understand, is how America can waste so much food while so many people die from lack of it. While people die of starvation, we continue to waste more and more of the vital resource that they need so badly. To put it plainly, it’s just not right.

I conducted a poll in my classroom. I found that 100% of those surveyed said that they thought American food waste and world hunger were both big issues. So American’s know that people starve around the world and that we waste too much food, yet America continues to waste an incredible amount of food. I also found that 70% of those surveyed admitted that they take food for granted. After I told the them the actual statistics about American food waste and world hunger they all agreed that they felt guilty and that something needs to change. And I agree with them. Something does need to change. It is disrespectful to all the starving people in the world to waste so much food.

There are many ways to prevent or lessen your food waste. Massachusetts has created a ban on commercial food waste. There are many organizations that prevent food waste. One of them, Springboard Kitchens creates 4,000 meals per day out of food that would have otherwise been wasted. Even doing easy things like eating leftovers or composting helps. As long as you’re not just throwing food in a landfill to rot. Because it’s not ethical to waste so much food when there are so many people dying because they don’t have any. It’s lunch time America. And the next time you’re thinking about throwing away that half a hamburger, remember all the people, weak and suffering, that die of starvation every year. Maybe you don’t care. Maybe you do nothing. Or maybe you do something. Maybe, just maybe, you care enough to try and make a difference.