Food for thought

October 16 is World Food Day. Perhaps one day it will be a day to celebrate our bounty. However, it is tough to celebrate plenty when too many across America and the world go hungry. It is a big problem, but one that can be solved if it is made a priority.


Anyone with a passing familiarity with scripture understands that God expects us to make sure no one goes without food, water, and shelter. We fail to honor God when we turn our heads, make excuses, and do not lend a hand. Part of giving thanks for our blessings is giving to others.

Food played a large role in the ministry of Jesus. He showed his disciples that it was possible to feed thousands with a little effort and faith. He told his followers to care for the hungry as if they were feeding him. He even chose bread and wine as the symbols to use in remembrance of his life, death, and resurrection. Every Jew understands the significance of these symbols as they are blessed to usher in every sabbath and holiday.

"Blessed are You, LORD, our God, King of the universe, Who brings forth bread from the earth."

"Blessed are You, LORD, our God, King of the universe, Who creates the fruit of the vine."

Attending a World Food Day event is nice, but doing something to end hunger is better. One place to start is to reduce food waste. A recent U.S. Department of Agriculture study found that 40% of the food produced in America goes to to waste. Waste occurs at every step of the way from farm to your table.

Whenever we confront large and complex problems, we are tempted to say that we are too small and insignificant to solve them. But you can do things to be part of the solution instead of the problem. Pay attention to the food you throw away. Are you buying too much or making too much? Something that looks like a bargain in the stores is less of a bargain if you end up throwing a good bit of it into the compost, disposal, or trash. Canning, freezing, making soup, and sharing with others are simple ways to waste less. Taking those steps requires awareness that we all waste more than we should.

Once you have a handle on your own waste, there are other simple things you can do to make a difference. Encourage grocers and restaurants to donate unsold and unused perishable items to a local food bank. Better yet, volunteer to help a local food bank rescue food from retailers. It is a win-win proposition. Retailers throw away less, get tax credits, and build good will in the community. Food banks and their customers get access to fresh fruits, vegetables, dairy products, and meats that would be otherwise lost. The missing link is getting the food from the retailers to the food bank. This is where a few hours of your time can make a big difference. Just remember those loaves and fishes.

Researchers from Finland took a closer look at food waste across the globe and came to an interesting conclusion (emphasis added):

As a result of food loss in the food production chain, it was determined that globally 614 kilocalories per every person a day are lost. Without this loss, present global food production would yield 2,609 kilocalories of edible food a day for every inhabitant in the world. Thus, by halving the food losses, we could feed 8 billion people with the currently used resources.

In other words, we could feed a billion people by just cutting waste in half. Loaves and fishes, brothers and sisters. Loaves and fishes.