A. Food waste is increasingly recognised as a systemic problem that links agriculture, logistics, retail, and household behaviour. Global estimates suggest that roughly one third of food produced for human consumption never reaches a plate, an amount measured in billions of tonnes each year. Losses occur both before and after harvest, and they vary by region and product. In low income settings inadequate storage and transport dominate, while in high income settings consumer habits and retail practices play a larger role. Reducing waste therefore requires attention to many small decisions rather than a single grand fix.|Along the supply chain, food can be lost when crops spoil in the field during adverse weather or when mechanical harvesting leaves produce uncollected. Inadequate cold storage allows microbes to grow, which shortens shelf life for fruit, vegetables, and dairy products. Packaging protects quality but can be poorly matched to local recycling systems. In shops, strict cosmetic standards cause edible but irregular produce to be discarded. At home, confusion about date labels and overestimation of needs lead to purchases that sit in refrigerators until they are no longer appetising.|The environmental footprint is substantial. When edible food is thrown away the water, fertiliser, energy, and land used to produce it are also wasted. Decomposing food in landfills releases methane, a greenhouse gas with a strong short term warming effect. Estimates attribute a notable share of global agricultural land to food that is not eaten, which means that lower waste could relieve pressure to clear new fields. Cutting waste is often described as a climate action that costs less than many technological alternatives because it saves resources while maintaining nutrition.|Effective solutions follow a prevention first hierarchy. Producers can measure loss hotspots and adjust harvesting schedules, varieties, and storage conditions. Investments in simple cooling rooms and better roads reduce spoilage between farm and market. Retailers can adopt dynamic pricing near the end of shelf life, sell smaller portions, and highlight recipes that use leftovers. Digital platforms connect bakeries, restaurants, and supermarkets with charities so that unsold items are redistributed quickly. Where disposal is unavoidable, separate collection for composting or anaerobic digestion recovers nutrients and energy.|Policy and culture shape outcomes. Clearer date labels that distinguish quality from safety reduce unnecessary discards, as shown in trials that replaced a single ambiguous phrase with best before for quality and use by for safety. Cities can support community fridges and set targets for public kitchens. Public campaigns that normalise planning meals, storing food correctly, and eating leftovers help shift expectations. Because food waste arises from many small choices, progress depends on aligning information, incentives, and infrastructure so that the easier option is also the less wasteful one.
IELTS Practice Tests Practice Test / Part 1 #83
