Abstract

This article presents selected issues in sustainable consumption in the context of limiting food losses and food waste. The basis for development of civilization is to ensure the quality of life while respecting the environment. Such expectations correspond to the idea of sustainable development, which introduces the development of society to ensure a balance between economic, environmental, and social factors.

Increasing globalization has caused a number of significant changes also in the area of food production and consumption. Apart from favorable changes, unfavorable ones are also observed, like some kind of race between producers and consumers of food, which is reflected by overproduction of food in some parts of the world leading to wastage, which in turn is important for the environment, state budget, and households.

Research in the field of reducing the effects of waste aims the one hand at awakening environmental awareness and reducing consumerism in society, and on the other hand – at finding mechanisms that will ensure decrease in the number of hungry people in the world. Consumers promoting a new lifestyle and consumption behaviors try to oppose food waste. These include ecominimalists and freegans.

Adres: prof. dr hab. Maria Śmiechowska
Zakład Chemii, Ekologii i Towaroznawstwa Żywności GUMed
81-519 Gdynia, ul. Powstania Styczniowego 9b
e-mail: smiemari@gumed.edu.pl