Essay: Strike Out Hunger
William V. Hickey, President/CEO of Sealed Air Corp., says his company is focused on helping to end world hunger.
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E-mailWhen I was growing up, I was taught, “Throw away your fears but not your food.” Nothing went to waste in our house. If it wasn’t eaten, it was jarred, pickled or dried. Today the world still grapples with the crippling challenge of food waste. According to the U.N., more than half of the food produced each day is never eaten. Americans throw away more than 25 percent of the food we prepare, about 96 billion pounds per year. In Africa up to half of all food spoils before it is sold. Amid this waste, the U.N. estimates that 25,000 people die from hunger and related causes every day. With the U.N. projecting that global food production must double by the year 2050 to feed an estimated population of 9 billion, we are clearly at a crossroads for balancing sustainable business and the ability to feed the world’s people.
According to the U.N., more than half of the food produced each day is never eaten. Americans throw away more than 25 percent of the food we prepare.
Nearly every step in the food production and consumption chain affords the opportunity for business involvement and contribution. For example, companies can and should develop new technologies; adapt business models to better distribute products; and use their human, operational and economic assets to benefit poor communities while strategically engaging in related philanthropic and advocacy activities.
Advancing the global food chain is vital to the continued development of emerging markets, global business expansion opportunities and the economic well-being of the world. This was made clear by the 2008 food crisis, which caused skyrocketing prices, mass hoarding, street rioting and government destabilization. The impact was widespread, as higher food prices forced people to spend less elsewhere.
As stakeholders we can all be part of the solution. Governments can ease food export restrictions and subsidies while enhancing infrastructure in poorer countries. Development agencies can fund the agricultural research needed to improve crop yields. The private sector can invest further in farmland development, grain elevators, shipping equipment and fertilizer production. Biotech companies can continue developing drought-tolerant corn and rice that withstand flooding and insects. Finally, all of us can help reduce food waste in our homes and communities.
