Sarath Wijesinghe President’s Counsel former Ambassador to UAE and Israel former Chairman Consumer affairs Authority, President Ambassador’s Forum, Solicitor in England and Wales sarathdw28@gmail.com

Food in any form is difficult to make. Some are in fresh and original form – the rest is made by the man for consumption. 2.6 million tons of food is wasted today that will increase to 3.7 in 2030 which is not bearable to the mankind of the world  when many countries are faced with shortages of food poverty famines and natural and manmade calamities’ that disturbs the life of the citizen anywhere. States worldwide such as USA, EU and Russia are major agricultural countries that engages in large scale production of food supplying the world in food in addition to local productions for consumptions by respective countries. Comparatively Sri Lanka is a small nation of 22.16 million (2021) mostly depend on food imports due to mismanagement of economy and agricultural policy unfortunately indebted to the world struggling to make ends meet. Sri Lanka cannot afford to waste though it is rampant by waste bribery corruption and mismanagement by corrupt politicians and government servants.  The waste of food is found in many form in Sri Lanka thought it is recorded or computerised as many other things which are in a primitive form compared to world standards. Staple food of Sri Lankans are rice mixed with bread and other food items mostly imported despite  abundance  of water, fertile land, and ideal climatic conditions to grow many/any kind  of vegetation’s in all parts of the country. Yet most food is imported despite number of attempts to grow more food to be self-sufficient whereby we are not expected to waste the blood obtained with such great difficulties subject to loans with strict conditions. There are 7 star, 5 star and luxury hotels available in Colombo and suburbs generally house full on peak days and seasons full of local and foreign and customers which is a happy news to note with grand functions sometimes Rs 80,000 per plate as media stated in a wedding of an influential person, but the food left unused are thrown out as a policy of any hotel. This situation trickles down gradually adding on computation of waste in all areas. Food waste is large and small scale world over. In rich countries and areas they can afford for example Europe, USA and UK though they are highly concerned and steps are taken to minimise the waste in households, Restaurants, small and large sale giants such as wall Mart, Tesco, Simsbury’s and such in UK Europe and USA with discussions to minimise and steps to end waste. Waste spreads to cultivation, storage, and transport, and distribution, sale points, packing amounts to high percentage the country is aware and taking precautions to curb. The above mentions countries and areas are major producers and rich nations who can afford to a waste. In UK and west these steps are in an organized form with main burden to the multinational firms and landowners as leaders of business in UK and Europe. But can Sri Lankans afford to waste in all these steps end up with the prize of the consumer at the receiving end. Cultivation in the West if scientific, systemic and well organized. Credit is given to the traditional Sri Lankan famer to possess most of the qualities but not the present famer subjected to grave hardships of lack of water, fertilizer and destruction of the growth by wild animals now loitering freely for want of land for them who were displaced from traditions lands. It is mentioned in news that in Sri Lanka 60% the vegetables and fruits are wasted en route and the rest on storage, when in the west precautions have been taken to minimise waste at every stage is a lesson to us. Imagine the mango produced is given protection from the start to the end demanding the maximum price. Sri Lankan Tea, Cinnamon Banana and Pineapple has a demanding position in the world and it is a pity we do not living put the expectations. Research have proved that the refrigerator is another source of waste with incorrect behaviour of purchase of consumer goods with no proper plan that will minimise the waste. Other main sources of waste are hospitals, prisons, harbour with the largest kitchen in Asia, are major waste dumps which are alarming to note the amount of waste. Other culprits are some handful religious signatories of all religions act irresponsibly on waste of food. There was an event a leading Buddhist monk filled the surroundings of a famous ‘’Dagaba’’ with fruits subsequently  waste a criminal west as even lord Buddha may not have approved the such a waste of that magnitude. Food waste in UAE and rich gulf counties are enormous being rich and extravagant as in the west food is waste with no limits for food and fun. Can the world afford to waste 27000 tons for fruits, 27, 0000 potatoes, with 93 million global waste that accounts for the global waste trickling down to the ordinary citizen in the end. What matters is not the number alone it is the rate of waste and waste is the factor we have to consider and minimize. This shows the gross amount of waste in all sectors when the citizen especially in Sri Lanka suffering from want of food and other facilities with sorry states of families and stories of commit suicide and plight of poor families demanding a fair share for all by scientific and equitable share of the limited food available in Sri Lanka for the citizen. It is therefore evident and unfair in Sri Lanka to waste and rob of  our limited resources meant to be shared with the poor and less privileged and you will agree robbing the citizen of his due share is a crime indeed.