June 5th: World Environment Day
That date was chosen because on that day had started United Nations Conference on the Human Environment held in Stockholm in 1972, following which created the United Nations Program for Environment (UNEP).
This year, the main event of the day will be borne by the Government and the people of Mongolia. The main theme will be the new campaign of the United Nations Program for Environment (UNEP) and the United Nations Organization for Food and Agriculture (FAO), Piensa.Aliméntate.Ahorra. Reduce your food footprint, which aims to reduce food waste.
It is estimated that, every year, one third of the food produced worldwide for human consumption ends begins to spoil in the garbage containers and consumers, merchants, farmers and transporters. These 1.3 million tons, the value would amount to about $ 1 trillion, would be enough to feed several times the 870 million people who go hungry every day.
The amount of uneaten food, which could be significantly reduced with very simple measures implies also a waste energy in the form of electricity and fuel used for food production and transport over long distances. In addition, decaying food from landfills generate significant amounts of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas, while forest loss to dedicate the land to livestock and food production contributes to global warming.
If the new campaign was beginning to spread the message that every individual and every organization have, the World Environment Day aims to reinforce this idea.
Although WED activities are not limited to a single day, the main celebrations take place on June 5 each year. Over half a million people have already registered on the website of the World Environment Day (www.unep.org / wed). If you have not already, is still time to register your activity on the website http://www.unep.org/wed/thunderclap and register to participate in the initiative WED Thunderclap, with which it plans to launch the world a strong message.
As part of the celebrations, UNEP and its partners, including the World Resources Institute and the International Fund for Agricultural Development, presented two reports: one in which are a number of alternatives to reduce waste and food waste , and another in which it highlights the potential of small farmers to lift a billion people out of poverty, provided that the necessary conditions and provide adequate support.