FOOD WASTE AND MANAGEMENT IN THE HOSTELS OF TEZPUR UNIVERSITY

 

“Food waste” refers to items that are fit for human consumption but thrown away by the consumer. Food waste is one of the most significant problems faced globally, that contributes to social, environmental, and economic problems. It leads to higher rates of food insecurity, causes atmospheric pollution, and results in a lot of capital wasted on inputs. Throwing away food can also mean that resources such as water and energy it used to produce it have been wasted. "An estimated 1.3 billion tonnes of food is wasted globally each year, one third of all food produced for human consumption, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations".

In india the University and college hostels contribute to food wastage in a humongous scale. In the hostels of colleges and universities a huge amount of food is wasted on a daily basis. In Tezpur University there are 8 hostals for girls and 7 for boys. An estimate of hundreds of kgs of food is wasted in each hostel per day. It is a serious issue but less talked about.To combat this problem, we can make both the staff and the students aware about the issues and also make them realise the outcomes of food wastage. 

The students when asked about this, showed many reasons contributing to this particular problem. Some of them said that the food is not up to the mark, that's why they become unable to finish it. which ultimately leads to food wastage. Some said, the students take a big chunk of food in their plate beforehand, irrespective of the fact that they'll be able to finish it or not. Which also leads to food wastage.This add up to others disturbances such as shortage of food, due to which many students face food deprivation.

They also gave several solutions to combat the issue. One of them being not taking too much food in ones plate. It will reduce the amount of the food that is being wasted and also it will ensure that everyone is getting their portion of food. Also, improving quality of the food will also contribute to less food waste, said the students. The students were seen to be very keen on the idea of resolving this issue.