Save the food and save the planet; Waste of Food amounts to waste of our planet

(Syed Shamsher Ali Gilani-Senior Advocate , Lahore)

Introduction to natural safe-shield of our planet

Amongst the other planets in our solar system, continuity of life is only possible in our planet due to its specific atmosphere. Our Earth-planet is surrounded by ozone layer or greenhouse gases mixed with nitrogen, hydrogen, helium, carbon dioxide, methane, oxygen and other gases up to 200 miles from earth surface in three different spheres. Up to 7 miles density of these gases is higher than others spheres. This is called troposphere, from 7.1 miles to 50 miles higher is called stratosphere with less oxygen and from 50.1 miles to 200 miles higher with low density thinner air is called ionosphere. Presence of greenhouse gases especially oxygen, hydrogen, carbon dioxide and nitrogen is highly necessary for the continuity of life of human beings, animals and plants. Moreover, greenhouse gases save us from the pernicious radiation Sun-light and overheating of Earth.

Food wasting is a major factor causing vulnerable harm to the atmosphere of Earth-planet
Unluckily we are doing the same as in ancient days a lumberjack who while sitting on branch of a tree was doing by sawing it. Due to our negligence whether deliberately or in-deliberately, we are doing or omitting to do many acts and things which directly or indirectly are causing harmful affect on the atmosphere of our planet. Amongst many other unwanted things, food wasting is a major factor due to which we are causing drastic changes resulting in fatal harm to the specific atmosphere of our planet subsequently becoming highly unsuitable for the biological sustainability of organic life.
Nevertheless, it is a matter of great agony and distress that every year one third food produced in the world for human consumption is wasted which is about 1.3 billion tons out of 4 billion tons. Food wastage is associated with subsequent squandering of water for cultivating corps and food production on million of hectares of land, energy, billion of liters of fuel consumption in transportation, labor and huge expenses incurred thereon.

Effects of global warming due to wastage of food

Amongst the discarded and wasted food like fruits, vegetables, different kinds of dairy & poultry products, different kinds of cereals, meat, rotten fish, other sea foods, edible oil and other eatable commodities are thrown out as land filler. When the wasted food starts decaying owing to superficial dumping of organic wasting material, emissions of methane gas which is 23 times pernicious than carbon dioxide causes abrupt breaking in the greenhouse gases resulting in global warming. Due to global warming severe changes take place in the climate. Melting of glaciers causes unusual floods, lack of pure water and longer span of summer season. That is why it is said that waste of food amounts to waste of our planet.

Islamic concept for abstaining from wastage of food

Here it is pertinent to focus our attention to the spirit different verses of Holey Qur’an. Allah (SWT) has counted food commodities as His showering of blessings towards mankind at large and any who does not pay thanks to Allah (SWT) and commits Is-raaf (wastage) shall be held accountable. Our prophet Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH) very rightly have said “who deliberately wastes the food and others blessings (things) bestowed by the God (SWT) commits sin and he/she is not amongst us”. (Ref. Bukhari Shrief).

Malnourished poor people can be nourished

It necessary to enunciate that there are almost one billion malnourished poor people in the world. Half of the waste food which is still eatable can be preserved which will be sufficed to fulfill the eating requirements of needy people of the world.

Some useful suggestions to overcome the problem

It is deem necessary to eliminate the un-necessarily wastage of food to avoid subsequent wastage of our planet for us, therefore, I am of the view that by improving communication between producers and consumers to manage the proper storage facilities and supply chain more efficiently a major portion of food can be saved from being wasted.


If it is inevitable to throw rotten fish or other discarded food commodities then through recycling process huge dump of wasted material can be converted into fuel energy with subsequent generation of electrical energy.
 

Syed Shamsher Ali Gilani-Senior Advocate
About the Author: Syed Shamsher Ali Gilani-Senior Advocate Read More Articles by Syed Shamsher Ali Gilani-Senior Advocate : 5 Articles with 24853 views Syed Shamsher Ali Gilani
M.Sc (Applied. Psy) M.A (Pol.Sc, Hist, Eng), LL.M, Diploma in Labor Laws-D.LL,
Diploma in Intellectual Property Laws-
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