Reducing Food Waste

Furthermore, food waste consists of food that spoils, spill or reduces quality due to bruising or wilting. Nonetheless, food waste also occurs due to the negligence of the intentional decision to throw away food that is of good quality and fit for human consumption. The scholar states that food waste leads to the increase in expenses for the consumer and a wasted economic cost to the producer (Hoornweg, 2012). Notably, when there is a reduction in food loss and waste through proper postharvest techniques, the amount of food that farmers can consume and sell is increased hence improving the economic status of the producer. Hoornweg argues that food waste is a global problem that is receiving significant attention currently in hotel buffets in Switzerland.

Moreover, waste of food is deemed unethical in hotel buffets in Switzerland. Therefore, a change in behavior is a substantial way of reducing food waste in both the developing and industrialized areas (Papargyropoulou et al. Ultimately, while the world still faces the challenge of climate change, it is essential that the human species plays the role of minimizing food waste which is a significant player in the global menace. Papargyropoulou et al. (2014), further states that addressing the issue of food waste should start from the level of production to the consumption level through effective communication. It is evident that when one is given the offer and is not able to consume the entire portion, disposing of the remainder is possible hence an increase in the food waste landfills (Koivupuro et al.

Ultimately, both the food production and customers have a responsibility in behavior change that can aid in the reduction of food waste globally. According to Garnett et al. (2013), reduction of food waste will determine the creation of a sustainable future in hotel buffets in Switzerland. He mentions that whatever has been done so far to mitigate food waste is commendable, but there is more to do in on a global scale. Notably, reduction of waste volumes is a benefit to the consumers who save money on food shops and the municipality which saves money through a reduced waste processing (Schneider, 2013). Nonetheless, Schneider suggests that the dissemination of right information by the concerned stakeholders will be of substantial impact in the combating of food waste menace.

Stefan et al. (2013), gives a broad scope of consumer behaviors that mitigate food waste. Her study suggests that planning for food that enters a household is essential since it ensures that consumers within the home can decide which meals can be consumers over a specified period. Nonetheless, the appropriate organization of the storage commodity is essential to ensure that the consumer does not forget to use some food products hence reducing the chances of food spoilage (Stefan, 2013). The knowledge regarding the storage of food is essential at the household level since it is determinant of the shelf-life of food commodities. Graham-Rowe et al. (2014) dwells on food preparation through effective communication and how it contributes to food waste in the consumption level.

Most food products have to be handled before consumption by a member of a household in hotel buffets in Switzerland. Introduction of smaller plates and offering small portion sizes is a behavior that can be substantial in combating food waste in hotels and restaurants. Further, through effective communication, customer education and motivation to avoid food waste in these eatery areas is a successful measure of the reduction of food waste in hotel buffets in Switzerland. Evans. (2013), addresses the issues of disposal of leftovers once the consumer is not able to finish what they served. He suggests that overestimation of the portion size one can consume in a sitting has increased the incidences of disposal of left over. The behavior of purchasing large quantities is enhanced by the availability of discount or lack of options since that package is the only one offered.

It is essential that buyers of food commodities get the sizes that they can consume over a specific period to reduce the likelihood of disposing of the remains because they cannot last for a long time. Discussion One of the significant global problems today is the provision of sufficient food for the population that is growing rapidly in hotel buffets in Switzerland. Nonetheless, through effective communication, while the world struggles to meet the basic need for the habitats, the issue of food waste is still a threat to the environment. Besides affecting the environment, food waste affects the population socially and economically in the national and household dimensions (Gunders, 2012). Food retailers, through effective communication, especially supermarkets are critical contributors to food waste in the households, and this involves the mode of selling applied by the stores.

Usually, supermarkets have a way of convincing their customers to buy more than what they require. First, the supermarket may use discounts for food commodities whereby the customer’s price is reduced when the purchase more foodstuff than usual. When these consumers acquire the discounted goods, they may stock the commodities without proper storage, and the products end up spoilt hence wasted. Nonetheless, the supermarket may stock large portion sizes that are cheap or use the buy one get one free to lure the customers into purchasing a lot of foodstuffs. Therefore, food waste is mainly contributed by vegetables. Switching to a vegetable diet by the population would be a step to curbing the food waste problem globally. While farmers still produce more of these vegetables, there is a possibility that there will be surplus if the population continues to focus on the animal-based food products (Garnett et al.

Consequently, the highly decomposable agricultural products significantly contribute to the emission of methane and carbon dioxide gases that are a vital threat to the deterioration of the environment. Ultimately, reducing food waste is an essential step to generating sufficient food for the population which is set to reach more than 9 billion by the year 2015. , & Murcott, A. A brief pre-history of food waste and the social sciences.  The Sociological Review, 60(2_suppl), 5-26. Garnett, T. , Appleby, M. Graham-Rowe, E. , Jessop, D. C. , & Sparks, P. Identifying motivations and barriers to minimising household food waste.  Economics Letters, 119(3), 325-327. Koivupuro, H. K. , Hartikainen, H. , Silvennoinen, K. , Kitinoja, L. , Waite, R. , & Searchinger, T. Reducing food loss and waste.  World Resources Institute, 22.  Waste Management, 33(3), 755-763. Stefan, V. , van Herpen, E.