The role of emerging technology in addressing food waste.

16 October marks World Food Day – a day set to raise awareness about the importance of sustainable food systems and combating hunger worldwide.

According to an article published in Scientific American, the global food system contributes to around a third of human-generated greenhouse gas emissions. However, what has never been clear is how much of this is due to lost or wasted food. While a further article reveals that methane, from landfills, produced by the global food supply, is much more powerful at warming the planet than carbon dioxide itself – which is a sobering thought.

In a nutshell, food waste really does have a negative impact on the environment and society. The good news though, is that this waste can be managed effectively, not only from a household perspective, but right across the food supply chain.

The truth about food waste

There is a common misconception that food waste is only leftover food that is discarded by households. However, food waste occurs from the moment food is farmed all the way through to retail stores and ultimately into your homes. Not only does it occur at the production level due to several factors, including climate change, soil quality, diseases and/or lack of labour, but given that retailers place a premium on quality, produce that does not meet their quality standards can be rejected and thus, wasted. As a result, landfills are significantly impacted by food waste that was never actually consumed postproduction.

Considering the magnitude of the food waste challenge in South Africa (it is estimated that 30% of all food produced is wasted), addressing it goes beyond just households – and means that retailers, restaurants, and the agricultural industry at large need to become more actively involved in the reduction of food waste. While sustainability policies are helping curb this challenge – especially from a business perspective - there is a pressing need for solutions that can help these industries tackle food waste, to have a measurable impact on our food system and the environment.

The role of emerging technology

Technology and innovation play an important role in waste reduction  and beneficiation by not only giving us new methods to manage waste more sustainably – especially from a supply chain perspective, but given the scale of waste these innovations, also include aspects like using this waste as a secondary resource. When considering food or organic waste, processes such as composting and anaerobic digestion are able to re-purpose this waste for another use, such as soil regeneration or energy.  

Anaerobic digestion is a process by which biogas is created through naturally occurring bacterial processes. This gas is harnessed and used to generate electricity. Anaerobic digestion is an established process which requires specific expertise and technology, but essentially it reduces the amount of organic waste going to landfill, as well as a decrease in the emission of harmful greenhouse gases.

Furthermore, the platform can act as an on-site model that ensures that waste is managed immediately, as it is generated, and is then disposed of in hygienic and compliant manner.

So, in order to achieve our zero waste to landfill goal as a country, we all need to take part in making a change. Start with small changes in your purchasing habits, but in instances where food waste cannot be avoided, consider recycling that into compost as an example, or examine various other options within the waste management segment that could work for you and/or your business.

This World Food Day, think about your food waste – how you manage it – don’t just throw it away – it can be used and benefit the environment and all mankind.