Dr. ELZUBI, a food security expert, warns that a country ranked among the most water-scarce globally, heavily dependent on imports, and burdened with high energy and transport costs, cannot afford to discard nearly one million tons of food annually into garbage bins. He stresses this figure is not hypothetical but documented by the National Food Waste Measurement Study (2024–2025), calling for a serious response that goes beyond official statements to root-level solutions.

The study shows that the average Jordanian wastes 81.3 kilograms of food per year, enough to feed another person for almost a month. Nationally, the wasted food could feed one million people for a full year. Vegetables account for 40.2% of the waste, fruits 32.4%, while restaurants discard over 12,291 tons annually, mostly during preparation. Hotels waste 3,739 tons, largely at the serving stage, and hospitals add 1,302 tons, with government facilities leading the figures.

ELZUBI explains that this is not just lost food—it is wasted water in a chronically dry country, wasted energy in production and transport, lost foreign currency when imports are discarded, and added carbon emissions from decomposing organic waste. He calls it an ethical failure in the face of food poverty, noting that Jordan pays the cost of food twice: once to produce or import it, and again to dispose of it.

The causes are cultural and structural: traditions of abundance in hospitality, poor household planning, promotional sales encouraging overbuying, weak inventory management in restaurants and hotels, and inadequate storage infrastructure that leads to 25% of crops lost along supply chains. The absence of binding legislation compounds the problem, leaving initiatives voluntary and limited in impact.

For solutions, ELZUBI urges mandatory laws requiring restaurants, hotels, and supermarkets to donate surplus edible food and disclose annual waste figures. He advocates a national policy with measurable goals, data-driven purchasing systems, reduced open buffets, “cook-to-order” practices, and staff training in waste management. Hospitals should adopt digital tracking systems and stricter kitchen oversight. At the household level, he calls for embedding food-saving culture in school curricula, encouraging planned shopping, and developing apps to reduce waste. Infrastructure investment in cold storage, circular economy projects, and digital platforms for redistributing surplus food is also essential.

In conclusion, ELZUBI stresses that amid global inflation, rising food prices, and fragile supply chains, food waste is no longer a tolerable luxury. Talking about food security while discarding a million tons annually is a contradiction that demands decisive political action, binding legislation, economic incentives, and cultural change. The data is available—the real challenge is making the decision.