Dr. Hüseyin Kâmi BÜYÜKÖZER
We are publishing Dr. Hüseyin Kâmi BÜYÜKÖZER’s statement to İLKHA News Agency.
Speaking about waste, which has become a common problem for humanity, GIMDES President Dr. Hüseyin Kâmi Büyüközer stated that food waste is a problem for all of humanity, and that luxury consumption and overeating increase waste.
According to the “2025 Waste Report” prepared by the Turkish Waste Prevention Foundation (TISVA), food waste is increasing every year worldwide, with approximately one-third of the food produced being wasted, costing the global economy approximately 1 trillion dollars.
According to the TISVA report, food waste in Türkiye has also reached alarming levels. It is estimated that 102 kilograms of food are thrown away per person per year in the country. Fruits and vegetables constitute the majority of food waste, with an average of 23 million tons of food wasted annually in the country. Approximately 35% of the fruits and vegetables produced are lost or thrown away before reaching the table.
The United Nations (UN) World Food Programme (WFP) 2025 Global Outlook Report reveals that in 2024, 343 million people in 74 countries experienced acute food insecurity, a 10% increase compared to 2023. The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) states that 1.5 billion tons of food are wasted globally each year, meaning one in five plates of food ends up in the trash.
In a world where over 783 million people suffer from hunger, more than 1 billion are overweight or obese, and approximately 3 billion are overweight, one in every 11 people goes to bed hungry, while more than 25,000 children die each day from hunger and malnutrition.
“A Major Problem for All Humanity, Not Just Muslims”
Speaking to an IHLHA reporter about the food waste and hunger issues in the world, Dr. Hüseyin Kami Büyüközer, President of the Food and Consumer Goods Inspection and Certification Research Association (GİMDES), said: “This issue is very important and stands before us as a global problem. It’s a major problem for all humanity, not just Muslims. Because people living within a luxurious lifestyle consume without considering the issue of waste, and throw away the excess. Therefore, there is a two-way waste. The verse ‘Eat and drink, but do not waste’ was said for us. We should consider all these words as a duty of worship for both Muslims and non-Muslims. As Muslims, we exceed the amounts we should eat each time, and we are in a major problem in terms of the content of our food. Because of this, millions of tons are wasted. This waste is a major problem both economically and socially. Because throwing away a food item prepared with so much effort without giving it its due means wasting a lot of effort.”
“People are being starved to death in Gaza,” said Büyüközer, stating that their organization has created a fund of 100,000 Turkish Lira to raise funds for the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. “There is a terrible famine in Gaza. Not only in Gaza, but in many parts of the world, people are suffering from hunger. In fact, the world has enough resources for everyone. On the one hand, there is waste, and because of this, food cannot be sent to those who are hungry. This must be combated. In Gaza, it’s not just war; the continuation of the war aims to starve people to death. There is a tremendous hatred, especially towards children. There is an Israeli state that has issued a fatwa to kill children born in their mothers’ wombs. How can we sit comfortably and eat while such suffering exists? It is impossible for us to spend our days without shedding tears when we see these things.”
“A generation that thinks about humanity must be raised”
Emphasizing that the fight against waste should begin with boycotting companies and individuals who encourage waste, Büyüközer stated, “We must ensure that the public reacts against such companies. If we achieve this, companies that profit from this sector will begin to withdraw and weaken. Ultimately, a generation of producers, a generation of people who think about humanity and understand human nature, must be raised. Otherwise, the generation is getting progressively worse. We are servants… As human beings, we must act according to God’s command. When we do this, we will see that many evils disappear on their own.” (İLKHA)
