Rice grain calculation draws attention to food waste in the world

Prof. Dr. Mustafa Tayar from Uludağ University's Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Food-Food Hygiene and Technology Faculty has calculated the magnitude of food waste globally, particularly focusing on rice consumption. He points out that a significant portion of food production, approximately one in three units, is lost or thrown away before consumption. Using the example of 2 billion people leaving a teaspoon of rice uneaten daily, he calculates that around 730 thousand tons of rice is wasted annually. Tayar emphasizes the need to reduce food waste, stating that the resources used could potentially build 500 schools and 73 hospitals annually.

Uludağ University Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Food-Food Hygiene and Technology Faculty Member Prof. Dr. Mustafa Tayar's calculation based on a grain of rice once again revealed the magnitude of food waste in the world. Tayar said that food waste is a major problem in the world and that it causes serious economic loss. Tayar drew attention to the fact that nutrition and access to food are unbalanced worldwide, and noted that there are hungry people on one side and patients struggling with obesity on the other. Tayar, who emphasized that one unit of every three units of food produced is lost and thrown away from the field to the table until it reaches consumption, said: "Let's take a different look at food waste and consider rice consumption and China. If 2 billion people leave a teaspoon of rice on their plate every day, 20 grains of rice are equivalent to approximately 1 gram. If it is calculated that 2 billion people leave, approximately 2 thousand tons of rice remains on the ...