Our world has several issues that are concerning to our global well-being. I believe that we can collectively resolve whatever we set our mind on. One of the issues that I am passionate about is food waste. Many individuals, families, communities and countries are going hungry and/or starving due to the amount of food wasted by none other than our collective selves. Wasting food is our responsibility to change. It is preventable and no person should ever go hungry as we have enough food to feed every person on the planet.

We have nonprofit organizations, volunteers, and various organizations that exist and we are very fortunate to have them, as they help feed people who do not have the financial capacity. This can be due to job loss, divorce, low levels of education, or natural disaster just to name a few reasons. The organizations rely mainly on donations and volunteers.

When Jean Chrétien was Prime Minister of Canada (1993-2003), he put an action plan for food insecurity in place in 1998. This has been an issue that dates very far back and even further than when the action plan was implemented. One nonprofit company called Fondation la Fourmi Verte, was founded in 2017 by my older brother, Andrew. I have volunteered with this organization for the last three years and it has made me aware of the grave need to act towards this issue. This organization aims at decreasing food waste and helping people receiving food from food banks without going hungry. This company receives donations of surplus food from grocery stores, companies, etc and transforms the food to help alleviate hunger.

Foundation la Fourmi Verte makes jam, soups, breadcrumbs, spaghetti sauce, and much more. We have a lot of companies and organizations out there trying to make the world a better place. That is great but that is not getting to the source of the problem; wasting food, buying too much food, having grocery store shelves stocked with too much food because the consumer (me and you) demand to see shelves overstocked. We do not have a food supply problem. We have a food injustice problem.

There are 2.2 million tons of food wasted each year in Canada alone, costing Canadians $17 billion. Forty percent of food that we buy ends up in the garbage. That translates to 1 out of 8 Canadians who will experience food insecurity sometime in their lives.

A solution to this is issue is you and I. We need to work together to change our conversation about food, be aware of our relationship towards food, and then go into action, be proactive. Implementing laws that would regulate the waste, support local farmers, get involved in community programs such as community gardens. These are all opportunities! Advocate for your local farmers all the way up to your politicians. Be visible, be heard and most importantly never give up!