A new Israeli study finds that sandwiches and meals that children don't finish are a major cause of food waste – but a direct connection to the land and food production could change the picture.
By Yaakov Goldberg, Zavit – Science and Environmental News Agency
Beyond the huge economic implications of food waste, it has far-reaching environmental consequences. So while it may be easy to turn a blind eye to the food that is thrown away, the footprint that these actions cause cannot be denied: estimates are that close to10 A percentage of all greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere are related to food loss in the food industry or emissions from unconsumed food. According to Report by "Leket Israel" Regarding food loss in Israel, during 2023, 2.6 million tons of food were thrown away, worth 24.3 billion NIS, which is 38 percent of all food produced in Israel. This is an increase of 3 percent compared to the previous year.
To what extent do children and teenagers influence the extent of waste? Save food, save the worldFood at home, and how can we harness it to the topic? study A new Israeli The Natural Step Israel (TNS Israel) examined in depth the issue of food waste among children and youth aged 2 to 18. The results show that the path to reducing food waste begins with children's direct contact with the land and with the processes of growing food in nature and in urban spaces.
The sandwiches are thrown away.
Most studies on reducing food waste deal with the food consumption patterns of the adult population, while a large portion of household food waste occurs among families with children – because of the children’s food consumption patterns. “When it comes to teenagers, the topic is in its infancy. There aren’t many studies on the subject in Israel or around the world, certainly not ones that follow groups of children and youth for years,” says Dr. Michal Bitterman, CEO and founder of TNS Israel, who conducted the study together with Mai Siri and Hila Segal-Klein.
The study, which was supported by the Ministry of Environmental Protection, included interviews with professionals in the fields of environmental education, agriculture and nature. At the same time, a survey was conducted among over 400 parents. "We were surprised by the rapid cooperation of the parents. At one point, we had to close the survey because there was a high response rate across the country," she says.
According to the study, among the main factors influencing food waste among children are impulsive purchases, changing preferences, picky eating, and a preference for visually "perfect" foods. It was also found that the main foods that children tend to throw away are mainly leftovers from cooked meals, followed by sandwiches packed for school.
"Once upon a time, the youth went to work in the fields"
Emotional connection or disconnection from nature is closely linked to modern lifestyles that include distancing from food growing processes, intensive urbanization, and the industrialization of food systems. According to the study, the fact that children in urban society do not have the opportunity to experience and learn directly about the processes of growing and processing food is linked to the emotional disconnect they experience with food, which can also lead to food waste. The survey data indicate that most children are not used to engaging in activities related to growing food in nature on a regular basis. In addition, most parents identified a positive relationship between children's involvement in cooking and food preparation and food awareness. "Contrary to traditional approaches that assume that transferring knowledge is the main way to promote behavioral change, our study places emotional and personal experience as a necessary basis for change. The most striking finding in the results showed that the main reason children and youth waste food is the emotional disconnect they have with food. They do not grow up in an agricultural atmosphere, but go through their entire lives without seeing food grow; they have never been pricked by a bush or a plant, and they have never been warm in the field. So the goal is first and foremost to create this emotional connection. Start from the basics, even before the practices in the kitchen. Connect them to the field, to agriculture, and to the sun. Let the child understand and feel that he is not just eating and consuming food, he is part of the food chain," explains Bitterman.
To bring about a change in the attitude and behavior of children and youth towards food, experiences of growing food in nature and direct contact with the land are required, among other things. However, no direct findings were found indicating that this change leads to a reduction in food waste. The study indicates that even short-term activities, such as one-time workshops in nature, may stimulate an emotional connection and increase environmental awareness, but their impact is limited. According to past studies, it has been found that food growing activities in schools contribute to improving children's dietary habits, especially in the context of consuming vegetables and fruits. "In the past, youth went to work in the fields. This can still be done today as part of their daily routine," says Bitterman. "The goal is for children to be continuously exposed to the field and the field. The vision is to change the children's attitude through the adults, those who mediate the field for them. It is important that parents, youth guides and everyone who teaches agriculture integrate messages of proper consumption and waste prevention into field activities," she says.
In addition to the direct connection to the earth, the sun, and the growing process, Bitterman emphasizes the potential of integrating nature into modern spaces. "Although most of us live in cities, we can incorporate the experience of growing food into our daily lives. We can start with the simplest action, such as putting a pot on the balcony or on the roof and growing mint and tomatoes in it, and we can integrate it into the activity of In a community garden"Today, urban space is much more open to nature," she says.
Dr. Michal Bitterman, presents the research – "Sowing Change – Connecting the Future Generation to Food"
What is a "tsamboz" anyway?
"Twelve years ago, when we founded TNS in Israel and began working on the impacts of food on sustainability, there was no awareness of the issue of food waste. The current study follows a series of studies and projects that suggested and led to changes in practices for more appropriate food management. As part of raising awareness, we invented the concept of 'Zamboz', which stands for Reducing Food Waste, and established National Food Waste Day, which occurs every year on March 12," says Bitterman.
"At a certain point, we realized that raising awareness was not enough and that we needed to develop additional tools, including those that would speak to emotion and lead to action as a result of internal change. The public has very little attention, certainly now, and this only sharpens the need to cause changes in the smallest everyday behaviors, and not in things that require effort or special logistics," she concludes.
More of the topic in Hayadan:
