This June 5th marks the World Environment Day, meant to raise awareness about the importance of the environmental protection and respect for nature. This event began in 1972 at a United Nations conference in Stockholm, Sweden celebrating a central theme of the environment.
Throughout the day, activities have been planned across the world to celebrate the occasion, including green concerts, recycling campaigns, citizen rallies and tree plantings, all under this year’s slogan of “Think, Feed and Save”.
ONE THIRD OF FOOD, WASTED
The aim of this year is to raise awareness of the large amount of food that goes to waste each day. According to FAO data, 1.3 tonnes of food is thrown away every year. To give some context, this is how much is produced in all Sub-Saharan countries in a year.
According to the United Nations Program for the Environment, one out of every seven people on earth goes to bed hungry and 20,000 children under 5 die of hunger every day, while a third of all food production is discarded. This is the result of a highly detrimental process where we throw away food at the same time as creating an inhospitable environment for the natural resources we need to produce what we need.
In fact, global food production occupies 25% of the surface area, makes up 70% of water consumption, results in 80% of deforestation and consumes 30% of gas used, making it one of the most significant causes of the loss of biodiversity.
CHOOSE ORGANIC FOODS
So, this June 5th, it a conscientious choice should be made to seek out food choices that have a minimal impact on the environment, including organic options, where chemicals are hardly used. Or, shoppers can purchase products in local markets where less energy and emissions have been used to transport the goods to sale.
OTHER ACTIVITIES
Locally, a number of associations across Spain have prepared activities to observe the annual celebration. For example, in Málaga there will be organized discussions by experts in the field as well as individuals on hand to distribute information throughout the streets and municipal markets.
In closing, on Friday, June 8th there will be an organized beach cleaning throughout the province, during which anyone can volunteer to participate.
Even the national media has chosen to participate. The second Televisión Española channel, or TV2, will broadcast a series of documentaries and series meant to highlight environmental issues from June 2nd through the 9th. They have also proposed the use of the # La2EnVerde hashtag to encourage viewers to leave their opinions on social networks.
However, its very important to remember that environmental protection and awareness is not something to be left just to June 5th – it should be a part of how we live. So, from Fuerte Hotels, we invite you to take care of planet by making responsible food choices for the environment.
