Seema Sangra talks to Jeremy Seifert, producer and director of Project a documentary film on Food Wastage
FOR many, the day begins and ends with hunger. Population-wise, last year we hit the 7 billion mark. Out of this number there are approximately 925 million hungry people in the world, which means that one in seven people is hungry. So why are there so many hungry people around when the world produces enough food to feed everyone?
Despite a 70 per cent population increase, global agriculture produces 17 per cent more calories per person today than it did 30 years ago. This is enough to provide everyone in the world with at least 2,720 kilocalories (kcal) per person per day. Yet people are dying of hunger.
There are various reasons behind the gigantic number of hungry in the world today. Many do not have sufficient land to grow their crops, or income to purchase enough food. Overconsumption by some countries and societies, coupled with food wastage, is a major issue as well. Worldwide, wasted food amounts to a trillion tonnes that can otherwise feed millions of people.
Jeremy Seifert, producer and director of Project DIVE illustrates some staggering stats about just how much food is wasted in the US and the amount of food we throw away could feed a lot of people. Seifert’s film has won awards and received accolades across the world and established him as a storyteller with heart and humour. In this interview, Jeremy Seifert speaks about the issues concerning food wastage and how wastefulness impacts our planet. Excerpts:
Documentary is a symbolic yet powerful initiative, what inspired you for the project?
I created DIVE as a response to the massive amount of wasted food I loaded into my car from the dumpsters of local super markets in US. I made the film because there was a deep outrage welling within me every time I bit into food that had been chucked into a trash can moments before and was destined for the landfill. The amount of food that's routinely discarded is overwhelming in both quantity and quality!
The outrage happened primarily on two levels: Food is life and shouldn't be recklessly wasted. The blatancy of this lack of appreciation and valu- ing of life awakened me. There are over 1 billion people on this planet that suffer from hunger, while every day millions of pounds of edible food is thrown away.
Through your documentary, you have talked about world of empty dumpsters, good food in full bellies, and regular people leading sustainable lives. Do you think its possible and achievable?
Yes! What we need is a paradigm shift in how we view food. Indeed this has already begun and the film is an outgrowth of this new consciousness. I believe we are at a tipping point to really start making this change.
Most of the food wastage that goes in bins and finally to landfills come from supermarkets and restaurants. How are you sensitising these two major stakeholders?
DIVE focuses on grocery stores because we felt that it would be easiest for them to get good food to hungry people. We’ve started a petition on Change.org asking the supermarkets to Stop Wast- ing Food. Whole Foods is next. All the supermarkets will have to come to terms with how much food is needlessly wasted and the means of getting it to hungry people.
Retail industry defends ‘sell-by and use-by dates’. What is your take on it?
Those dates are quite arbitrary and usually don’t reflect anything about the freshness or safety of the food.
How according to you, supermarkets’ offers like ‘Buy One get one free’ or/and “three for two” contribute to the food wastage?
This really encourages a ‘Buy more than you need’ mentality. It might make more sense if those offers were geared towards using food that might be otherwise thrown away, perhaps selling it at a reduced price rather than toss it out.
We are constantly being bombarded with advertising telling us to discard and replace the goods. How much of a role media plays in generating and cultivating wastage habits in us?
We are living in a consumer society that constantly tells us to “fill the void” of our existence with products we can purchase. Why do we need the supermarket shelves to be completely stocked at all times with goods from around the world regardless of the season? We have become disconnected from food, from our true selves, and from each other as a result.
They could tell the truth instead of selling us products! We as film-makers, artists, and storytell- ers, and I include everyone in this last category since we all have a story to tell, should be pushing the media more to reflect the values we hold as people concerned with sustainable living.
primarily caters to American audiences, though food wastage is a global issue. Do you see international audiences getting benefited
I think there is a universal truth found in the film that goes beyond culture and language — food is precious. Food is life and should never be wasted. It is our hope that this film will spark the imagination of people interested in social justice, hunger, and human rights. It’s also a very personal story about family and community. I think the personal combined with the universal can often make for compelling film.
How can religious teaching help combat food wastage? Can religion be used as a tool to sensitise people for this issue?
Feeding the hungry is a common denominator in all religions and we are only truly fed, both spiritually and in actuality when the very least of us has something to eat. Mankind is connected — there is only one human race and one planet to live upon. Religion can help illustrate this connection between human beings, resources, and fellowship like no other. In the film I quote Abraham Joshua Herschel who said, “Forfeit your sense of awe, let your conceit diminish your ability to revere, and the universe becomes a market place for you.” Getting that wonder back is essential. If you have that sense of awe and wonder and you see it being abused and mangled there’s that sense of outrage that leads to response.
Would you like to give any message to our readers?
We have entered a new year. Every year we take few resolutions during this time. I would urge the readers to start the year with a resolution to be careful with food and make a special effort to avoid food wastage in our own households. Let the grocery stores know that you care about food waste, the environment, and hungry people — and they should too.
Readers should think of the connection between hungry people and wasted food. We are all bound together by common need and the universal desire to fulfil one's potential. This mindfulness about food, community, and fellowship will be a powerful way of ending food waste and a crucial step towards ending hunger within our lifetime.