wasted food Archives

God has given us more than enough food for every man, woman, and child on this planet. Jesus told His followers to use what God has given. In Matthew 25:34-46, Jesus tells us what His disciples need to do. Providing food, water, and clothing are at the top of His list. Those who don’t provide these things for those in need are condemned. The problem is the shocking amount of food wasted.

I am directly involved nationally with programs that provide for those who are in need. Locally, I am involved with a program called “Feeding America,” and our small congregation provides food for over 100 people every month. Similar programs, both nationally and locally, are conducted by people who call themselves “Christians.” There are no atheist programs anywhere doing this.

So, if all this is going on, why is there a shortage of food worldwide? In the United States, one in every five kids doesn’t have enough to eat in spite of the fact that 530,000 metric tons of food are thrown out. The shocking amount of food wasted in schools is an example. Data from audits of schools in Miami and Orlando, Florida, show that the food thrown out amounts to 1.06 billion pounds from school cafeterias every year. These cafeterias also waste 20.9 billion gallons of water annually, resulting in a loss of $1.7 billion. Sixty percent of cafeteria waste is fruit and unopened milk.

This is just one case in two large Florida cities. Can you imagine how much waste there is nationally? As America continues to reject God and Christianity, we can expect this problem to get worse. In the biblical record, we see God telling humans to use what He has already given them. God doesn’t condone waste and will not provide for us what we can provide for ourselves. We see passages like Proverbs 6:6-11 where people who won’t work are called “sluggards” who will end up in poverty. Christians must lead the way by not wasting what God has given us.

Reference: World Wildlife for Fall 2025, page 4.

A strange situation that exists today is human mismanagement of what God has given us. I get 20 to 30 pieces of mail daily asking for donations to feed starving children. These children are not just in Africa or India, but also in Appalachia. When you donate to one organization, you get on everyone’s mailing list. I’m glad organizations are addressing the food needs of people all over the globe, but the problem of hunger is so unnecessary.

With political circumstances depriving common people of basic food needs and selfish politicians and rulers involved in power struggles, children are dying all over the planet. The pathetic pictures of starving children hit home in the United States as the statistics show how poorly we manage God’s gifts. USA Today (May 26, 2021) published a report from the Environmental Protection Agency showing that 42.8 million tons of uneaten, wasted food ends up in landfills or combustion facilities every year. The report goes on to say that people in the United States typically waste 25% of the food they buy, amounting to a cost of $2,275 a year per person.

The problem of wasted food is not getting better even though we have ways to prevent food spoiling. Buying canned goods, freezing leftovers, dehydrating fruits, and ordering more intelligently should reduce our waste. The problem of hunger is unnecessary, yet every city in the country is reporting issues with waste.

A society will practice selfishness when it rejects the notion that God has given us what we have and expects us to share it with others. The economically deprived are the ones who suffer. The collateral damage of selfish atheism is a testimony to the validity of faith in God, but Christians should be leaders in making full use of God’s blessings.

Reference: Time magazine May 24/31, 2021, page 23.

Tag: wasted food

Problem of Hunger Unnecessary