"Wasted food" is food that is unspoiled, nutritious, and wholesome but is disposed or thrown away. This food may come from cafeterias, restaurants, factories, or grocery stores. By reducing the wastage of such food, we can help the environment in many ways. When we throw away good food, resources such as labor, gasoline, water, fertilizers, land, and energy are wasted as well. This means that by throwing away consumable food, we are throwing away helpful resources as well. Also, when good food is dumped in landfills, the nutrients in the food are not absorbed by the soil, and instead, the food rots and produces a gas called methane. Methane is a greenhouse gas that heats up the atmosphere and is one of the major causes of global warming.
Some of the ways in which we can stop the wastage of consumable food and resources is by finding ways to stop disposing of food in the first place. By donating consumable food to non-profit government organizations (NGOs), we can feed the poor and hungry and keep them from starving. Composting, which is a method of decomposition of solid waste, helps to convert food into manure that is free of chemicals. This is another way which helps to convert good food into manure that can be used in place of harmful chemical fertilizers for crops. Understanding the importance of not wasting good food and using appropriate measures to avoid wastage of food is a step toward saving our planet.
20
Select the correct answer.
Which of these best summarizes this passage?
A.
Wastage of good food is an environmental hazard that needs to be stopped. By using proper measures to stop wastage of good food, we can help save resources and the environment.
B.
"Wasted food" is food which is usually thrown away from cafeterias, restaurants, grocery stores, and food factories. People need to ensure that they are more cautious about wasting food.
C.
Stopping the wastage of food helps in more ways than one. For example, people can donate leftovers to various organizations that help to feed the poor and hungry.
D.
Wastage of food causes large-scale damage to the environment and also to precious resources. This includes labor, gasoline, water, fertilizers, land, and energy.