The World famous festival of La Tomatina 2019 is celebrated on the last Wednesday in the month of August every year. The effects of Tomatina festival enrage humanitarians the globe over. The Spanish use about 120 tonnes of Tomato for splattering on each others’ faces.

Video Credits: Business Insider

The Tomatina 2019 festival effects:

Tomatina Festival sees effects the world over because of the massive gathering; about 40,000 tourists visit the small town of Bunol, Espanol. While this is an engaging activity that attracts people from across countries, it results in a huge waste of food in a world shackled by hunger and poverty.

For instance, the tomatoes wasted in one La Tomatina 2019 celebration can feed 3,000,000 African Kids. The widespread cultural fad is not only ruining ripe tomatoes. La Tomatina has already made its place as an internationally celebrated event.

120 tonnes of tomatoes | NEWSLINE | DKODING

History of La Tomatina festival; the inhumane effects of destruction and waste:

The celebration of the Spanish festival started fairly recently, in 1947. La Tomatina has a very unclear history, some say that it started out with a brawl while many other locals believe that the festival started out with accident.

However it may have started, the fact remains that it is largely a waste of invaluable resource, food. This is a very scarce resource throughout Africa. Not only Africa, but many countries also face this issue – malnutrition.

Thousands of tourists play with food; Millions of kids die without it | NEWSLINE | DKODING

Africa is especially affected:

The festivities begin with a giant greasy pole with Ham at the top of it. When a human pyramid is able to get somebody on top cut the ham loose, it is the point where festivities and Tomato fight begins. Meanwhile, 60 million people in Africa are dying for food, unable to earn an income because they are malnutrition. Their culture ruined and populous affected by diseases.

Is La Tomatino really more important than to help these African people in need?

The Bull Fighting and Running of the Bulls

Bullfighting is a medieval ritual that many Spanish still believe to be a sacred tradition. Although it is called inhumane today, illegal bullfights are common happenings in the Spanish region. While the scale of people involved in this has gone down, it has been replaced. This is another Tomatina festival Effect.

Running of the Bulls | NEWSLINE |DKODING

One barbaric activity of tradition is replaced by another. The running of the bull 2019 is another ritual that is still followed. This is equally as attractive to tourists as the tomato fight.

You can argue that the quality of tomatoes is low and they are cheap. But these would still feed millions in the right conditions. On the other hand, the running of the bulls has been made into an adrenaline junkies’ entertainment fest.

This comes despite the dangers of Bulls running the participants down. News such as idiot, 26 repeatedly gored by a bull is a common affair during the festival.

It seems that humans like putting their lives in danger and enjoy living on the edge to feel alive. But the bulls are manhandled, mistreated and forced into running in the traditional activity. This is all because it attracts tourism and has spread the name of Spain throughout the world. For all the wrong reasons.

Is La Tomatina 2019 really a festival or just a vain activity for the entertainment of humans in exchange for money?