Don’t Waste Food: Every Bite Counts

Food is not just something we eat. It’s the result of a farmer’s hard work, water, land, and time. Yet every day, tons of food are thrown away around the world. 

Why is food waste a big problem?

1. Hunger still exists- While 1 in 9 people go to bed hungry, we waste nearly 1/3 of all food produced globally.

2. Money loss - Wasting food means wasting the money you spent to buy it.

3. Harms the planet - Rotting food in landfills produces methane, a gas that makes global warming worse. Growing food also uses a lot of water and energy.

How does food get wasted?

- At home: Cooking too much, forgetting leftovers in the fridge, buying more than we need

- At restaurants/hotels: Big buffet portions, uneaten plates

- During festivals: Cooking extra and throwing it away

- At farms/shops: Damaged vegetables and fruits that look “imperfect”

5 Easy Ways to Stop Wasting Food

1. Plan before you buy - Make a grocery list. Buy only what you need.

2. Cook smart - Take less on your plate first. You can always take more.

3. Store properly - Keep vegetables, fruits, and leftovers in airtight containers so they stay fresh longer.

4. Use leftovers creatively - Yesterday’s rice can become fried rice. Stale bread can become bread crumbs.

5. Respect food - Remember the farmer who grew it. In India we say _“Anna Daata Sukhi Bhava”_ - May the one who gives food be happy.

The Bigger Lesson

When we waste food, we disrespect nature and the people who work hard to bring it to us. Saving food is not just about saving money. It’s about being responsible and caring.

Small action, big impact

Next time before you throw food, ask: “Can someone else eat this? Can I use it differently?”  

If every family saves just a little food each day, we can feed many hungry people and protect our Earth.

       Apeksha R Tandel

Bharatiya Vidhayarthi Morcha strongly condemns the mid day meal scheme

  

The government’s policy of the Mid-Day Meal distribution in  schools all over the country has proved failure from the date of its implementation till date. Bhartiya Vidhyarthi Morcha (भारतीय विध्यार्थी मोर्चा), Goa Unit strongly condemns the scheme as it has taken its heavy toll on human lives all over India and advises the state government to stop the scheme immediately.

Along with number of students and parents some innocent teachers have also became victims of the scheme and have lost their services. There have been cases in different parts of India of students’ suffering from vomiting, stomach-ache as a result of having mid-day meal in schools. It is heart wrenching to hear about the case where 23 students died of food- poisoning in Bihar recently. There have been cases of food poisoning through the mid day meal in Orissa and in Madhya Pradesh on 27/7/2013.

The schools in Goa are not exception to such cases. There has been a case of food poisoning through the mid day meal in Usgao- Ponda in St. Joseph High School where 23 students were victims of the mid day meal. There has been a case of food poisoning even in Korgao at Kamaleshwar High School on 27/7/2013 where 19 students fell sick. There were worms and spiders in the mid day meal that the students ate and suffered from stomach ache and had to be immediately admitted in the hospital. There have been three cases of food poisoning through the mid day meal within a month in the state of Goa which has put the parents, children as well as teachers under stress and has made them fearful.

  The mid day meal which was supposed to be introduced by the government to build and maintain students’ good health has proved to deteriorate the students’ health to such an extent that some students have lost their lives and the parents have lost their children. The question arose in the young minds of students and parents, whether such cases of food poisoning through the mid day meal scheme are accidental or deliberate.

 Considering these facts and ill effects of the mid-day meal, Bharatiya Vidhayarthi Morcha strongly condemns the mid day meal scheme and advise the state government to immediately scrape it.

 School timing must be reverted to 8.am to 1.pm so the students can have their lunch at home on time.