Fixing the Food Cycle | earthrise | Al Jazeera English

Our global food system is totally topsy-turvy. It fuels climate change, degrades land, pollutes soil and water supplies and wipes out wildlife, including the pollinators we need for our crops. Far from nourishing the planet, it’s robbing us of the ability to feed our growing population.

At the same time, we are squandering what we have. 1.3 billion tonnes of perfectly edible food are binned each year while nearly 700 million people go hungry. There are, however, simple fixes. Above all, producing food sustainably and not wasting it.

In Kenya, we meet the smallholders working with soil scientists to restore degraded land while improving yields. And in South Korea, we learn how one of the world’s most efficient recycling programmes is putting leftovers to good use.

Making this programme made me acutely aware of how the way we relate to what’s on our plate is a reflection of our relationship with the planet. Before every meal, I now try to take a moment to appreciate the food that I am lucky enough to have in front of me and to think about the resources that went into it: the soil, the water, the fuel to transport it to market, the electricity to cool it, and the labour to produce it. Waste food, and all that goes to waste too.