We’ve all done it! I bet that in the last month you’ve thrown food at least twice. According to the latest studies of the European Parliamentary Research Service – EPRS, about a third of cooked food worldwide is going to waste. A swipe back to our country, the UNDP has estimated that 31% of the population cannot eat healthily, and 49% cannot maintain food security. If these numbers don’t ring an alarming bell, we don’t know what will!
With precautions of the situation becoming more and more alarming as the worldwide economy stalls, a glimpse of hope comes to light: a Robin Hood for food. The missing link between food donors and recipients is here for the rescue: The Lebanese Food Bank.
According to its website, the Lebanese Food Bank seeks “to fight and overcome hunger by developing effective Feeding Programs in parallel with Development and Awareness programs to eliminate hunger.”
At present, LFB provides food on a daily basis to families and individuals in need, mainly through the collection of surplus food from partner restaurants, hotels, caterers, supermarkets, and food exporters/importers. Their main line of work is to provide food to a selected number of more than 70 Lebanese NGOs active in a variety of fields.
The Lebanese Food Bank (LFB) urges everyone not to waste food; but instead, to call LFB ahead of any big dinner, wedding, party, and event; where huge amounts of food are usually thrown, and have its trained staff pick them up in a refrigerated van and take them to the associations caring of the needy.
LFB is more than a mission, it is a way of life. We can’t but massively respect this initiative. If we don’t intend to directly become part of it, we should at least learn from it by becoming more mindful about our food consumption every time we go to the supermarket or to the restaurant.
Let us think twice before throwing our food excess. After all, we are all contributing to this society, to our own environment. One day, we might end hunger: this can’t happen but one person at a time. If you wish to contact LFB, here are the numbers: 01/510499 and 03/714401.
