Why Minimizing Food Waste Matters

22218257_10154821251232093_6531398439288589655_o — Photos: Anne-Maria Yritys 2017. All rights reserved.

I picked more than 30 liters of mushrooms during last weekend, on Sunday alone 20 liters. Cantharellus cibarius, Craterellus cornucopioides & Cantharellus tubaeformis. They all belong to the same mushroom family, cantharellus. Safe to eat even raw.

I tried to sell them online, locally, but it seems that no one wants them so I have to prepare them & put them in the fridge/dry some of them. At least I know what I am going to eat this Winter… mushroom soup, mushroom pie, mushroom in every dish…

I do not know what the problem is. Mushrooms are tasty, rich with e.g. vitamin D and protein. I mean, no one is obliged to stop eating steaks/meat, but just to make you aware that there are other options too. I eat basically everything, although I try to eat more vegetables and less (red) meat. I know how hard it is to change old habits, but small adjustments from everyone lead to big results. We do not have to eat animals every day.

The number of vegetarians/vegans is constantly growing around the world. Humanity has been farming for about 10.000 years now, but it takes a lot more energy to grow plants, then feed them to animals that get slaughtered so that humans can eat them. Take some time to reflect upon your personal food consumption. Are there any changes you can make, and if, what are they? According to most dietitians, eating less meat is actually healthier than eating red meat every day.

It is also a devastating fact that currently our world produces food for at least 10 billion people, and about half of all food is being THROWN AWAY. At the same time, people go hungry in some areas of the world. How is this possible? E.g. France has made a legislation that it is FORBIDDEN for groceries to throw away any food. Any food that cannot be sold must be donated.

There is a huge imbalance in what we consume/need/produce, not only concerning the agricultural sector. At the same time, we have created systems where yields are being maximized at the cost of quality, and soils suffering. So basically we produce more on smaller plots but we have to eat more to get all necessary vitamins etc. Do you think this is normal?

I have personally tasted almost everything. The worst thing I was ever served was veal brain in Greece, and I refused to eat it. But I have tried lamb kidneys, reindeer tongue and all sorts of things. Mushrooms appeal more to me than viscerals. It is basically the only thing I refuse to eat. Or blood dishes, which is a specialty here in Tampere. Blood sausages. I just cannot eat some animal´s blood.

I would also never eat ANY endangered species, including any snakes, bears, whales, sharks etc. I hope you feel and act the same way. And that you make sure when you consume marine products, you know they are not endangered/caught by sustainable fisheries. E.g. concerning tuna fishing is that a lot of dolphins get caught in fishing nets. Make sure to buy MSC certified seafood only, unless you are fishing yourself and know that your methods won´t harm the marine environment.

One more benefit of mushrooms: they are very low in fat. Basically, mushrooms are FAT FREE. Excellent diet, of course, when you eat safe mushrooms (not all of them are consumable).

Thank you for reading. I am looking forward to your comments and feedback. You can connect with me on Twitter @annemariayritys and/or @GCCThinkActTank. To receive my posts delivered personally to you, subscribe to LeadingWithPassion