Photo by Paul Schellekens on Unsplash
A week has passed since moonsighting marked the beginning of another month of Shawwal, simultaneously marked the end of the holy month of Ramadan for Muslims around the world. 30-days of fasting was intended to clear the mind of distractions. An empty stomach should set a realization that sometimes we eat out of impulsivity. That 10 AM hunger should not exist when clearly you have had breakfast at 8. The month was meant to be a month of communal bonding, where everything will be shared with anyone living around the area. If your mealtime was comprised of twice a day, the amount of food you buy should be reduced to at least 2/3 the normal amount. Moreover, 12-18 hours of fasting supposed to shrink stomach size resulting in people getting full quicker. Thus, the impact of Ramadan on the earth should be beneficial. I mean, a reduction in food demand should mean that less food would be produced and less carbon footprint should be formed, right? Well, not exactly
On the contrary, the number of food sales increased in Ramadan from 50-100%. Retailers took advantage of this festive season with sales and promotions. 15% of annual expenditure on food was estimated to be generated by Ramadan in Egypt. I guess that's good right? People buy extra food to share it with others like, giving and sharing with those who can't afford a decent meal is the whole point of the Holy Month!
If only the reality is that close to the ideal, we wouldn't be writing this right now.
The pain is real when the data repeats itself year after year, which signifies that it had already become a widespread habit across culture. Making Ramadan as the month of feast and painful food waste instead of the month of reflection and moderation like the favorite Ramadan verse in the Quran suggest. The purpose is so that we become the people of Taqwa.
Now, the word 'Taqwa' could be translated simply as piety or fear. But, some interesting old Arabic use for the word is to 'protect'. Some mufasseer would make the imagery of a horse without horseshoes trying to go up a rocky hill. This understanding should make us re-think the purpose of Ramadan and look back to what we did instead. Are we being super careful with our decisions down to our grocery list? Are we taking into careful consideration the shelf life of the food? Are we buying food out of necessity or out of impulse at the moment when we were starving?
Food waste had already been a world problem on its own. You might want to do your own research on this topic. To mention some heartbreaking data, 40% of produced food never gets eaten in America alone. Yet 1 in 8 Americans still doesn't have a stable food supply. Home consumers are the largest contributor to food waste with an average of 1500$/ year on waste. Don't get me started on carbon production.
In 2019, the trash produced by Jakarta increased by 700000 kg, added to 6000 tonnes daily average. 39% out of that staggering number were food waste by the first day of Ramadan. Data from Dubai Municipality showed that food waste in Dubai landfill contributed 22% to its total and more than doubled during the holy month. Let that sink in for a second. Is this what we call 'Taqwa' or at least 'careful'?
The economist intelligence unit stated that Indonesia was ranked 2nd as a food waste producer by 300 kg/person every year, after Saudi Arabia (427 kg/person every year), Followed by the USA (277 kg/person every year).
If we just think how Ramadan was intended to solve the problem of excessive behavior, instead it became the ultimate massive waste machine. That should at least make you look at your fridge. Do I really need all this?
Look. Humans are prone to mistakes and forgetfulness. That's true. What's also true is that humans are supposed to be equipped with the ability to learn. We could never emphasize more that it's never too late. You know how it works: When you're hungry, your brain went beast mode on shopping. Don't act like you never even had the thought when you brought home the whole meal course for iftar; appetizers to dessert with 3 varieties for each. Took 3 bites off the first one and looked at the rest; like how am I gonna finish all these?
So then you kept them in the fridge. Maybe you managed to eat some for suhoor with 4 meals left in the fridge, yet you still fall for it again. You brought another meal for iftar because you were tempted by the smell or you argued with yourself that you haven't had this meal for a year. The cycle went on, and you end up with rotting food in the fridge. Not to mention your pre-Ramadan supply preparations.
We can all agree that it was all in the past. But what we can learn is that; and it's not just for Ramadan exclusively, you can apply it anytime:
My belly shrunk when I'm fasting
3 dates or 3 cookies filled me up instantly after adhan
That curry don't last long
I appreciate the food I cook more
My company or organization makes big iftar every once in a while, there's always leftovers
I have neighbors that I can share my food with
my pet doesn't mind a leftover
It's never too late to start composting
My plate is too big and doesn't have to be full
I think there's a food bank around me
My fridge does not have to be full all the time
My fridge is not a time machine
It is okay to go for groceries a few times a week (good planning is even better)
It is ok to cook less, or to buy less
I'm not hungry, I'm just bored
Let's remind each other to be more careful about our food habits. Remember that the goal of Ramadan is to make you someone who has 'Taqwa'. Someone who think before they act, and takes into consideration the possible consequences from their action.
If you find it inspiring, don't hesitate to share it with your friends and families!
...and there you have it, another Philosofood brought to you by GRAMUS.
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