Food for Thought

As the global environmental crisis deepens, the connections between Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) issues and global security have manifested in our world today.

Being a leading ESG challenge, food waste has taken the center stage, particularly as nations strive to meet the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). According to the Sustainable Development Goals Report 2024, SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) and SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) are at critical junctures, and food waste stands as a significant barrier to achieving them.

In Indonesia, an estimated 13 million tons of food are wasted annually, yet approximately 23 million people remain undernourished (United Nations, 2024). This staggering

contrast presents an existential threat not only to environmental sustainability, but also to global stability itself.

The securitization theory by Barry Buzan and the constructivist approach within global governance provide valuable frameworks for interpreting food waste as more than just an environmental issue. This issue has the potential to evolve into a global security threat. Therefore, by framing food waste as a matter of security, it underscores the need for both urgent policy intervention and collective action (Buzan, 1998).

This article will demonstrate how ESG and security, when approached through a constructivist lens, make connections to show how food waste is a key challenge in the global agenda.