Malnourishment is affecting millions of people around the world, including Lebanese people. According to
, a non-profit organization, 30% of the Lebanese population lives in poverty. More than half of these people live under the poverty line ($4/day), while the rest lives below the lower poverty line ($2.4/day). FoodBlessed in a non-profit organization that tackles the issue of food waste in Lebanon. In fact, 30% of edible food in Lebanon is wasted. With the help of volunteers, the organization collects unwanted food from supermarkets, farms, restaurants, caterers, etc. and offer them to people in need three times a week. Selected institutions who agree to donate their food surplus are linked to NGOs that work closely with vulnerable and underprivileged communities.
Ma Badda 2isteha
The organization has launched a new campaign called “Ma Badda 2isteha” (Do not Feel Embarrassed) that encourages people to wrap their leftovers up from restaurants. In fact, the main reason why people do not ask the waitress or waitress to wrap up the leftovers is that they feel embarrassed about it. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 1.3 billion tons of food is wasted every year.
Food waste in Lebanon
In Lebanon, more than 1/3 of the food goes to waste. Also, food waste constitutes a significant amount of the garbage in Lebanon. According to the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), 31% of Lebanese people do not eat healthy food throughout the year.
What can you do?
- Cook your meals as much as it is needed
- Donate your leftovers for those in need or keep them in your fridge to consume them later
- Make sure that your food is preserved properly
- Shop smart and realistically: do not buy too much food.
- Save your leftovers
Change starts with you. For more information about the campaign, click
.