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Food Waste and The Muslim Community: An Overview

This article provides an overview of the scale of food waste and its impact on the Muslim community. It explores the Islamic perspective on food waste and offers practical solutions on how to cut down food waste, including turning waste into compost. The article also highlights the efforts of Muslims in eradicating hunger and reducing waste.

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Food Waste and The Muslim Community: An Overview

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  1. Waste Not Want Not: Food Waste and The Muslim Community

  2. overview • Intentions and introductions – why are you here? • Scale of the problem • Islamic perspective • What can you do to cut down food waste? • How to turn your waste into compost – Jeni Walker, Transition Town Tooting

  3. THE SCALE OF THE PROBLEM • 50% of the food produced in the entire world is wasted • 1 billion people go to bed hungry every day • What have Muslims done to eradicate hunger and reduce waste?

  4. He who sleeps on a full stomach while his neighbour is hungry is not one of us" Muslim

  5. THE BRITISH PICTURE • £10 billion worth of edible food wasted each year • This is greater than the total food aid we give to poor countries • The average household wastes £470 per year on thrown away food. £700 for family with children...£ 60/ month

  6. ISLAMIC PERSPECTIVE • Trustees/Stewards of the earth • Grateful submission to its creator • Aim to preserve and appreciate beauty and goodness • Distribute earth bounties equitably

  7. Quranic evidence • ‘O Children of Adam, take your adornment at every masjid, eat and drink, but be not excessive – Indeed Allah likes not those who commit excess’ 7:31 • ‘Indeed the wasteful are the brothers of Satan and Satan is ungrateful to his Lord’ 17:27 • ‘Eat of the wholesome things – but commit no excess, therein lest my condemnation fall upon you’ 20:81

  8. Quranic evidence • ‘..eat of their fruit in their season but render the dues that are proper on the day the harvest is gathered. But waste not by excess – for Allah loveth not the wasters’ 6:141

  9. Hadith/sunnah • Avoiding over-eating: • ‘The son of Adam has not filled any receptable worse than his stomach – it is sufficient for... (him) to eat small bits of food that keep him healthy. If he wants to eat much, 1/3 for the stomach, 1/3 drink, 1/3 to let him breathe comfortably’ Ahmad • ‘The food of one person suffices for two, the food of two for four and the food of four for eight’ Sahih Muslim • Belly better on another person

  10. Hadith/sunnah • Avoiding Waste • Prophet and companions used to lick fingers and plate after meals • ‘After one of you eats he must lick his fingers...for he does not know in which of them lies blessing’ • ‘When one of you eats his meal and a morsel falls down, he must pick it up, remove the doubtful portion and eat the rest. He must not leave it for the devil’ Tirmidhi • Wudu

  11. Hadith/sunnah • Redistributing food: • When the prophet (pbuh) arrived for the first time in Madinah I went with everyone to see him. The first words he said were: ‘O people feed the hungry, spread salam, maintain your kin relationships and pray at night while others are asleep – with this you shall enter heaven in peace’ – Al Bukhari

  12. Why do you waste food? • Buying and Preparing too much • Not using it in time • Commonest thrown items: Veg and salad, drink, fresh fruit, bread and cakes

  13. SOLUTIONS • 1) Buy less/Plan meals – check cupboards • 2) Store it properly – Best before, fridge and freezer • 3) Make the right sized portions – app/website • 4) Re-use leftovers or give it away – app/website

  14. 1) Meal planning • White board on fridge • Shopping list • Items that need using up

  15. Quick QUIZ • Is it safe to eat food after its best before date? • Is it safe to eat food after its use by date?

  16. 2) storage

  17. Quiz • Can food be frozen up to its use by date? • Name a fruit/vegetable that does not keep longer if stored in the fridge? • Where is bread best stored?

  18. STORAGE • Keep your fridge temperature below 5oC. • Keep bread in the bread bin or freezer • Fruit and Veg in the fridge– except bananas and pineapples and potatos and onions • Keep things in their packaging • Re-close packs eg cheese/meats, cool cooked items quickly and put in fridge • You can freeze things right up until use by date, defrost and use in 24 hours

  19. 3) Right sized portions

  20. 4) Use it up

  21. Give it away – who to? • Uses for perfectly usable food? • ‘And they are those who give food – in spite of their own need , to the needy, and the orphan,  and the captive, [saying in their hearts],’We only feed you for the sake of God, and we desire nothing in return from you, not even a word of thanks’  (76:8-9).

  22. Narrated AbuDharr: Allah's Apostle (peace be upon him) said: AbuDharr, when you prepare the broth, add water to that and give that (as a present) to your neighbour. - Sahih Muslim, 1208 • The Prophet was asked if acts of charity even to the animals were rewarded by God. He replied: '"Yes, there is a reward for acts of charity to every beast alive."

  23. Turning food waste into compostJENI WALKER – TRANSITION TOWN TOOTING • With a little help from my friends....

  24. Conclusion • Food waste strongly discouraged in Islam – worse still when people dying of starvation • We are responsible before Allah for that which we waste and must ask questions of businesses and law • Become an ambassador on food waste: parties/events/work etc – think of creative solutions • Join/support others doing work in this area – Food Cycle/The Real Junk Food project etc

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