Ramadan Frenzy Rhymes with Waste

“Drive Nature Away, It Comes Back at a Gallop”

Yes, it’s a proverb as old as the world, but we hear it at least once a year during Ramadan.

Even with relentless media coverage of the preparatory meetings meant to inform consumers that everything they need for the holy month is available, nothing seems to change. The buying frenzy of the last two weeks throws all forecasts out the window. Yet the most sought‑after items have been displayed prominently.

La Presse – This does not stop those who confuse “stocking” with “over‑stocking” from rushing to buy in bulk, often with the help of their children or relatives.

A quick glance reveals pallets of milk, coffee from every local distributor, green and red tea, various rice brands, sugar, all kinds of pasta, etc., etc. Nothing suggests an imminent shortage. And since vegetables are still reasonably priced, what remains? Dried fruits—whose prices have skyrocketed within 24 hours, understandably in anticipation of the Eid sweets.

Health Risks

Everyone expected it, but the situation is serious enough to mobilise inspection services: acting so quickly can easily breach regulations.

Beyond that, the month of Ramadan is plagued by waste. The endless “cravings” that last, by experience, about two weeks lead to massive over‑consumption.

We should not only talk about those who can afford to store double what they need, but also about those who deliberately “suffer” after Ramadan just to satisfy a poorly advised appetite—resulting in monstrous waste. They may need two to three months to settle the bills carefully recorded by the grocer or the corner‑store owner.

No matter how much we lecture, mobilise the media, demonstrate, and try to convince people, we always end up back at square one.

If we add this reckless food squandering—something that could have been a great service—to the mix, many questions arise.

Cleaning Up

The days following the first rush will undoubtedly be painful for the cleaning crews. With indiscipline rampant, they will have to pick up everything left on the ground. Stray cats and dogs in El Manazah tear open bags dumped directly on the floor because there are no proper bins.

These workers, who perform exhausting jobs, are also fasting. They need assistance so they can finish their tasks as quickly as possible—so we don’t present the eleven million tourists who visit our country with a spectacle of our own disorder!

Health Risks (Again)

The leftovers and waste have always offered a glimpse into the menus of local residents. Repeating ourselves, it’s unthinkable—waste on a massive scale.

But waste is not limited to Ramadan. The Regional Directorate of Food Safety in Nabeul, together with the Ministry of Commerce and security services, recently seized and destroyed about 6.6 tons of food products and thousands of litres of unfit liquids, including:

Spices (84 %)
Meat and meat products (7 %)
Potatoes, pastries, fresh milk (67.7 %)
Soft drinks, water, aromatics, etc.

These seizures, not confined to Nabeul, were triggered by the storage of various products in unauthorised or unidentified warehouses, or by expired dates—posing a health risk to consumers.

This gives a glimpse of the preparations made by speculators and criminals (unfortunately there is no better word) who, without scruples, try to off‑load dangerous products during Ramadan.

With consumption soaring, some unscrupulous traders exploit the high demand to sell spoiled or adulterated goods. Buyers often ignore expiration dates, quality, and potential consequences.

A Specific National Programme

The campaign launched stems from a Ramadan‑specific national programme focused on the most consumed products during the holy month. It targets manufacturing, storage, and refrigeration facilities of all kinds, aiming to combat practices that threaten consumer health and safety.

Imagine if the hundreds of tonnes of seized and destroyed products were instead given to those in need—happy families would result.

Nearly 80 000 “cuffins” (food parcels) have been distributed by authorities so families do not feel abandoned and can experience a “normal” Ramadan. Free‑meal distribution points have also been set up to help those in need.

The destruction of seized products is itself a form of waste—monstrous waste coupled with a deliberate attempt to harm others, all during a month that should embody piety, solidarity, and love for one’s neighbour.

The Global Context of Food Waste

While millions worldwide struggle to obtain food, the global food system—ours included—continues its absurd behaviour: producing food in abundance, then discarding a large portion as if the population were not suffering and finances were not at risk.

Food waste, combined with post‑harvest losses, poor storage, and manipulations by speculators, has become one of the gravest flaws in the food systems of countries that have allowed themselves to be “nucleated” by what resembles true cartels:

Red meat and butchery sectors
Bottled water
Dried fruits such as pistachios or almonds, whose prices soar despite continuous production growth
Dairy products like cheese, now prohibitively expensive
Exotic fruits introduced fraudulently, imposed on the market without any state profit

Everything is destroyed.

Thus, waste is not limited to what consumers throw away; it spreads to supermarkets that destroy almost all unsold stock. During Ramadan, waste is indeed significant, but our traditions and reflexes remain driven by behaviours that will take varying amounts of time to respond to the call for solidarity and mutual aid.

A proper framework is needed to increase pressure, curb these excesses, and punish those completely unaware of the consequences of their misdeeds. Food waste reflects a moral and economic failure that destabilises markets, threatens family stability, and endangers citizens’ lives.

Therefore, we must educate and convince future generations that a good life does not mean devouring one’s own future.

What a massive job!