EDITORIAL - Think. Eat. Save.

Saving the planet is a complex undertaking. One action with noble intentions can generate reactions both good and bad for the environment. Cows, for example, are major sources of meat as well as milk and other dairy products, but they are also among the biggest sources of greenhouse gas emissions. The United Nations Environment Program estimates that it takes about 1,000 liters of water to produce a liter of milk, and 16,000 liters consumed by the cow to make a hamburger.

The UNEP reports that 25 percent of all habitable land on the planet is devoted to food production, which also accounts for 70 percent of fresh water consumption, 80 percent of deforestation and 30 percent of greenhouse gas emissions. Food production is also seen as the biggest cause of biodiversity loss and changes in land use.

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that up to a third of global food production is either wasted or lost, or about 1.3 billion tons each year. Meanwhile, one in every seven people around the world suffers from hunger. Every day, hunger claims the lives of over 20,000 children under the age of 5.

In celebrating World Environment Day on June 5, the UNEP is focusing on reducing food waste, minimizing the environmental impact of food production, saving money and promoting more efficient processes of producing food. The thrust is deemed urgent as the global population is estimated to soar from the current seven billion to nine billion by 2050. Simply sourcing food locally can reduce the environmental “foodprint” and contribute to saving the planet.

This year’s theme for World Environment Day is Think.Eat.Save. Informed choices in food production and consumption can cut food waste, saving not only the environment but also human lives.