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People who grow their own fruit and vegetables waste less food and eat healthier, study says
Jul
This rising cost of living makes life arduous for people, especially those with lower incomes (who often have a poorer diet) to be able to afford well eating. Despite this, households in the UK still waste a shocking amount food – including about 68 kg of fruit and vegetables per year.
Food waste not only hurts your pocket but also the environment. Globally, 1.3 billion tons of food is wasted every year, generating about 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions. These emissions arise from unused food at all stages of the food supply chain, from production to decomposition.
However, our latest study revealed that people who grow their own food in gardens and allotments waste an average of just 3.4kg of fruit and vegetables – 95% less than the UK average. These farms have adopted a range of practices to minimise food waste, including preserving or giving away surplus produce.
There was renewed interest in growing fresh produce in gardens, community gardens and allotments in the UK and elsewhere in recent years. However, the available supply of allotments is is not enough to meet the growing demand.
Allocating more land for home fruit and vegetable production could significantly contribute to the availability of fresh produce for city dwellers.
Tests showed that using just 10% of the available space in the English city of Sheffield to grow food could provide enough fruit and vegetables to meet the needs of 15% of the city’s population. And more people growing their own food could also reduce waste.
Joaquin Corbalan P/Shutterstock
Food diaries
Our study involved 197 households in the UK that grew their own food. We asked them to keep a food diary recording the amount of fruit and vegetables they bought each week. We received complete records from 85 individual households.
They determined whether each item was grown in their garden or allotment, purchased from shops or markets, obtained from other growers, or collected in the wild. Households also recorded how much produce they gave away to family and friends, as well as how much they had to throw away.
Our findings suggest that people who grow their own food may be more likely to avoid food waste than the average UK citizen. This may be because they place greater value on the produce they grow themselves.
The results are consistent with previous studies conducted in Germany and Italy. The study found that the amount of food thrown away was highest among people who shopped exclusively in immense supermarkets. People who bought their products from a variety of compact shops wasted less food, while those who grew their own food wasted the least.
Our findings also suggest that the households we studied could produce about half of all the vegetables and 20% of the fruit they consume each year. These households consumed 70% more fruit and vegetables (just over six portions a day) than the national average.
Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables as part of a balanced and nutritious diet is key to maintaining good health. This type of diet can lend a hand prevent diseases such as Type 2 diabetes, some types of cancer and heart disease.
However, in the UK, less than a third of adults and only around 8% of teenagers eat their “five portions a day”. This goal, which is based on advice from the World Health Organizationrecommends eating at least five portions of fruit and vegetables, 80 g each, daily.
Photo by Alan Goodwin/Shutterstock
Take care of your own food safety
Growing your own food can improve access to fresh fruits and vegetables, promote good health, and reduce food waste. However, several barriers make it arduous to participate in home food production. These barriers include constrained access to land, skills, and the time needed to grow your own fruits and vegetables.
Around one in eight households in the UK no access to the gardenSince the 1950s, the availability of plots across the UK has increased significantly. dropped by 60%The decline was particularly pronounced in more disadvantaged areas of the country where people could benefit most from improved availability of nutritious foods.
We also found that people who grew their own food spent about four hours a week working on their plot or garden. Unfortunately, not everyone has the luxury of time to do this.
However, raising awareness of the benefits of home food production beyond food security and waste reduction, including its positive impact on social cohesion, general well-being AND biodiversity could encourage more people to participate. The growing demand for growing space could also encourage local authorities to allocate more land for this purpose.
Whether you grow your own food or not, everyone can adopt mindful practices when buying or growing food. Planning ahead and freezing or sharing excess food with others to prevent waste are good options.
Read more: Five ways to reduce food waste – and why it matters
But some food waste is inevitable. Compost instead of throwing it in the landfill significantly reduce its impact on the planet.
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