Waste Not, Want Not: The Right to Food, Food Waste and the Sustainable Development Goals

摘要

It is essential that any discussions of the human "right to food" contain some recognition that states have an obligation to reduce food waste based on the already existing human "right to food." With nearly 1.3 billion tons of food being wasted annually, there is room for improvement at many levels. This essay assumes that because of the attention being given to problem with excessive food waste as part of the Zero Hunger Challenge, international policymakers will adopt at least a SDG target that will prioritize eliminating food waste. This is significant because the SDGs will provide the needed international framework for creating an accountability regime to measure progress towards sustainability. Unfortunately, the specific goal and target that have been proposed by the international community to reduce food waste are inadequate to address the food security challenges related to the massive inefficiencies that currently exist in the food production, distribution, and retail system. As part of food security strategies, insufficient funding has been allocated to address food waste elimination; most funding is provided instead to increase production that may eventually go to waste. A zero food waste SDG or target would prioritize the political need for protecting long-term food resources by reducing waste and should contribute meaningfully to achieving a green economy.