Activist Canan Günaştı, who wants to draw attention to the waste of food, one of the biggest problems of our age, collects the vegetables that are thrown away even though they can be eaten, and evaluates them in her kitchen.
every year around the world 1.3 billion tons of food is wasted. This amount is so large that it corresponds to 1/3 of the total amount of food produced in the world. Food production is causing serious damage to our planet as it is responsible for a quarter of the greenhouse gas emissions worldwide.
Therefore, it is necessary to be more conscious about waste. very sensitive about Canan Gunaştidoes not waste it, but also collects the still usable food that someone else wastes and takes advantage of them. he is a “modern collector”.
He collects and cooks the vegetables and fruits that are thrown away in markets, greengrocers and markets for ecological, not economic reasons.
Born and raised in Adana, 31-year-old Canan lived in Germany for a year with an exchange program after graduating from high school. Then he settled in Istanbul for university. It started to be found more frequently in Adana during the pandemic process and officially farmer It grows many vegetables and fruits.
He has done different jobs in many industries. Currently, he continues to do many different jobs at the same time. Acting and farming are some of them. Also for a while vegan and it also carries out its activism. It started collecting food from the garbage 10 years ago.
We asked him some questions and he answered sincerely:
How is collecting food from the garbage different from hoarding?
“Hoarding is, as far as I know, the state of taking things indiscriminately and not throwing them away. I have very few things in my house and I don’t have a habit of hoarding generally. I have a minimalist life. I have been doing very little non-food shopping for many years. We change clothes with our friends, I try not to buy textile products.
I buy vegetables and fruits from markets, markets and greengrocers. I do not buy packaged foods thrown out of the markets because as much as possible packaged food I try not to consume. I also consume the vegetables and fruits I collect as soon as possible.
For example, out of shape a curled carrot I take it, peel it that evening and chop it into a salad. Since vegetables and fruits are thrown on top of each other in the market garbage, even if they are thrown out without being crushed, they can be crushed and wet. That’s why I take care to clean and consume quickly.
The photo on the left is in front of a greengrocer in Adana, I found a lot of things from here that can be eaten.
The photo on the right is a chain market that sells very expensive vegetables and fruits. beet stalks They always take it apart, I buy it whenever I see it. It’s very close to my house and everything I find from here is always very fresh. If there is a small scratch, they separate it.”
Are you worried about hygiene?
“My cleaning process for vegetables and fruits that I did not grow myself is the same. I peel them first, if I am not going to peel them. in carbonated water, and then I soak it in vinegar water for a very short time. In general, other garbage is not mixed with the vegetable and fruit wastes of the market and greengrocer. So I don’t see a problem with hygiene. In the same way, vegetables and fruits are thrown on top of each other in the markets, and I have not seen much garbage mixed in. I don’t think it’s a problem when I wash it.”
Does it have anything to do with your economic situation?
“Sometimes, after doing a big shopping, I look at the vegetable and fruit waste garbage when I leave the market. I can say that it is not related to my economic situation. But I can give an example that it has a positive effect on the economy. Three weeks ago, I forgot to buy carrots from the market. On my way home, I looked in the garbage of a market and saw a bag probably because it is out of shape I saw a discarded carrot. It was about two kilos.
So even though I’m not doing it for economic reasons, this has had a positive impact on my economy as it has kept me from spending three weeks on carrots. 🙂 Especially if there are others who collect fruits and vegetables in the markets, I do not. I’m holding back in case someone else collects for financial reasons. In such cases, I expectIf there’s any available vegetables and fruit left, I’ll buy it.”
Do your friends eat food you make with food you find in the trash?
“I’m definitely telling anyone to eat. So far I have not come across anyone who says not to eat. I guess everyone trusts that I’ve thrown away the rotten part of the apple I found and washed it enough. :)”
What was the most interesting experience you’ve had?
“It can be thought that I bought it mostly for economic reasons. Once in Adana, I had to convince the marketers for a long time. Because they didn’t want me to buy the ones on the ground. They wanted to give it over the counter. I couldn’t persuade some of it and had to buy it.
Someone in a market in Istanbul said, ‘Whatever you want to buy, I’ll pay you, don’t buy it from the waste’. I tried so hard to persuade. Finally, he said he wouldn’t be convinced if he didn’t see my money. I didn’t have cash with me, I showed my debit card, is not convinced. “I’ll buy you,” he says, stuffing vegetables into transparent bags from the vegetable aisle. I tried to explain, ‘I don’t use plastic, that’s environmental reasons’. Lastly, I entered my bank account from online banking and showed that I had money and convinced. :)”
What else are you doing for the environment?
“I do not eat animals. I do not use any animal products. I’m vegan, I’m on a plant-based diet. I take care to eat products that I grow myself. If I can’t, I buy directly from the manufacturer.
In general, most of the food and drinks in my house are from the producers we know in Adana. Every time I go and come -because I don’t carry much clothes- I have tomato paste, pulses, etc. in my suitcase. I bring it to my house in Istanbul. We also buy directly from the manufacturer in Adana. Someone we know is making tomato paste at home or from our own olive trees We collect olives and dry them.
I try not to use cargo as much as possible. I hardly do any online shopping. I do not consume non-local and out-of-season food. I especially prefer the local alternatives, such as rice. I consume out-of-season foods if I have pickled or frozen them myself.”
“I only use my bike for transportation in Adana and Mersin. In Istanbul, I use public transportation, bike or walk.”
“Packaged foods I’m trying not to buy. I try not to use plastic. I haven’t used the freezer bag for years. In the market and in the market for years cloth bag I use. When weighing the products, I weigh them with a cloth bag. For example, I live barefoot for a while. But since the sandal I wear is not in Turkey, I ordered it from the Netherlands and I am the Turkish representative of that brand.
“I hardly do any non-food shopping. We change clothes with family and friends.”
3rd place in the running competition
“I hardly buy any clothes. I hardly wore shoes for a year. I only wear sandals that fit barefoot. I run with the same sandal. I also participate in running races with sandals.
If I could find a sandal manufacturer that fits barefoot, I would buy it from him in Turkey, but I couldn’t find it. There was a relatively more famous brand, there were other brands. I thought I’d order it from the nearest place and I ordered it from the Netherlands. It doesn’t comfort me, on the contrary. the damage i have done I notice. The moment I notice it, I start reducing it.”
“I think it’s healthy not to cover the feet and toes.”
We can use the feet as our hands, but we choose to close them immediately. There are many muscles and nerves on the soles of our feet. Using them is a way to explore the world. Cause of many bodily problems posture disordersWe know that there is a business and we create a sector like sports shoes by tying them to the shoes we wear on our feet.
As I researched barefoot I can write and find more English resources for everyone. I can say with my experience that I have seen muscles in my feet that I have never discovered, my posture has started to be more correct and I feel stronger and healthier.
These days, I wear toed socks with a separate structure for each toe. What I’m wearing is not a barefoot matching sandal or nothing, just any slipper or sandal. A sandal that I can open my toes and does not compress my foot from its natural state.
Do you get negative reactions when you mention this situation on social media?
“There were those who found it disgusting on Instagram. There were those who were uncomfortable seeing feet other than when I was picking fruit and vegetables. They said that it was uncomfortable because I was walking in the cold, raining with sandals or walking barefoot in the park. There were some unfollowers.
There were those who said, ‘Don’t share, they will think your financial situation is very bad’. Since I shared what I cooked and ate from the garbage, there were some people who were very uncomfortable with this. But from unfollowers there is a lot of support. There were those who said, ‘I also collected, I collect’. There were those who took a barefoot photo in the park he went to.
“I try to adapt to nature.”
“A new development in my life is as follows; coffee and cocoa I decided to quit. I had tried before but came back. At the moment, I stopped using coffee, chocolate, cocoa and coconut because of the damage it causes to the environment, working conditions and damage to humans and non-human animals.
I wake up every day with the idea that I can do less harm to the environment. as far as i can harmony with nature I’m trying to show you.”
This was Canan’s views. So what do you think about this subject?