Fighting Food Waste: How Individual Actions Can Combat Methane Emissions and Save Our Planet

Many people accuse governments of not doing enough to protect the environment against preventable methane emissions into the atmosphere.

Many advocacy groups are campaigning to reduce methane in the value chain of fossil fuels. In contrast, we, as individuals, have the power to make a significant difference. We can start by taking responsibility for what we do to compound incidences of methane emissions from households and unwholesome food wastage.

When I attend parties and see how people “load” plates with food they can’t finish, which ultimately ends up in the trash, I’m reminded of the staggering statistics on food waste. Did you know that Nigerians alone waste at least 189 kilograms annually, amounting to a shocking 37.9 million (37,941,470) tonnes of food every 12 months (United Nations)? This waste could be significantly reduced by carefully choosing what we serve ourselves at parties and individual homes.

It’s not just about the individual choices we make but also about the collective impact we can have. Imagine if each one of us committed to eating only what we can at home or at parties. We could prevent a significant amount of food from ending up in landfills, potentially leading to methane formation and emission into the atmosphere.

This is not just a small step, it’s a powerful action that can make a big difference when we all commit to it.