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Essay | There’s food at the house: Food waste and its impact on homelessness

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Ciara Thomas

Planet Forward Correspondent | Tuskegee University

Everyone is family

Food waste may not be an entirely new issue, but it has certainly worsened in recent decades as fast food restaurants, and commercial food packaging have exponentially increased across the county. The answer to mitigating food waste may lie in the practices and ways of life that came before the fast food boom.

My godmother, Philana Suggs, grew up on a farm in Alberta, Alabama in the Black Belt region. She described her young life as community centered being that the elders within her community were just one generation out of slavery. Her neighbors were all considered family and when someone had a surplus of a crop, they would give it to another. In this way, food would not be wasted and to preserve the food’s shelf life, they would either eat it or conserve it properly by deep freezing it.

This connects to the homelessness issue in the world because this city found a way for the food that they personally did not need, to not just be thrown away. This community style approach contributes to combating this global issue.

On her grandfather’s farm they grew vegetables like corn, mustard, collard, and turnip greens. They had animals like pigs, cows, chickens, rabbits, and horses. There were plentiful apples, berries, peaches, pecans, and plums and her uncle would even hunt animals like rabbits and deer as another source of meat. Her family had ponds that supported all types of life like catfish and trout, turtles, frogs, lizards, and ducks. There was also algae present, which she explained as important because it gave nutrients in the ponds.

She also talked of how one animal would be a source of many different foods. For example, cows would be used for meat, but also for milk that would be used to simply drink or to make ice cream. Chicken would be used as a food source as well, but their eggs would also made other dishes. By doing this, they still utilized the grocery store’s resources, but they were not solely dependent on their products.

Because of her background of growing up on a farm, food waste and homelessness is something my godmother is extremely passionate about. When asked about how she felt about this issue she said, “Forging ahead, our future is in the hands of the next generation. The knowledge from the past needs to be taught to them so that the mistakes we are currently making regarding wasting of food can be minimized.” With inflation on the rise, more people are living paycheck to paycheck, but this issue does not seem to be a main concern to many Americans. In today’s society, many are focused on our own individual lives instead of ways to support our broader community. In my godmother’s view, if we see someone struggling, we should help, instead of thinking that every man is for himself.

For example, we should not be producing more food than we can eat, and we should especially not be throwing it away when someone else can put it to good use. If we do have a surplus in food, we should give it to an organization that knows how to properly distribute it to those in need. Restaurants should not require their employees to throw away the food that was not eaten during shift and should instead bring it to the nearest shelter.

Strategies for reducing food waste

I had the pleasure of interviewing Desmond Mortley, Ph.D. and Lucy Asare-Baah, Ph.D. of Tuskegee University. Asare-Baah is a professor at Tuskegee University who teaches in the Agribusiness program. Moretly is also a professor at Tuskegee who is involved in numerous activities, but his recent project is focusing on post-harvest food loss and waste. I sat with them both to grasp the concept of food waste and how one would go about decreasing this issue

Asare-Baah explained that developing countries seem to focus on home economics more than its developed counterparts. Because of this, more people in developed countries are less eager to cook and may depend on restaurants to house their meals. This is an issue, because we allow these franchises to determine how little or how much food we receive and why when it comes down to an unfinished meal, we have no problem throwing it away. As stated before, restaurants do not know how to properly handle these unwanted dishes and will throw them out instead of giving them to someone who may need it.

Mortely believes one of the issues that contributes to food waste lies on the labels found on food packaging. “We believe that as soon as a product hits an expiration date, we must immediately throw it away, even if the product does not appear expired,” said Mortely.

This reminded me of when I was a child and saw that the more-than-halfway-gone milk in the fridge was “expired” and I poured it out in the sink. My mother asked me if I tried it, but I told her, “No,” because it was expired. She then explained that I must examine the product before immediately throwing it out, because it may not have even been bad. The more I talked to Asare-Baah and Mortley, the more I realized that I unknowingly contribute to food waste, and that other people may not realize it as well.

When asked about suggestions for decreasing this issue in America, Mortley recommended more educational awareness. Everyone should take the time to do their own food research and learn about things like food shelf life. Asare-Baah said that buffets should be looked at more. Some buffets do try to help this issue by charging people who do not finish their plates but these rules often don’t go far enough. “People are too quick to throw away and waste a product because they believe that since they paid for it, it is not hurting anybody,” said Asare-Baah.

Both Mortley and Asare-Baah also advised that we learn how to cook. We need to learn how to be more adaptable in the kitchen. For example, Asare-Baah brought up bananas. “When they appear to be turning brown, instead of throwing them away, we should use them for another dish like banana pudding or banana bread that does not require ripe fruit”, said Asare-Baah.

Lastly, when I asked them both where they felt this issue was going and what the younger generation should know, Mortley stated that he requires his students to go to Tuskegee’s communities and volunteer to distribute food that would go bad on campus, into the community.

Similarly, Asare-Baah gives her students plenty of assignments on food waste, like polling people in the cafeteria on what this issue means to them. She believes that the solution is to involve the youth so that they can learn from the older generations. Engaging young people is important as they are the ones who will face the brunt of climate change’s impacts in the future.

As laid out in the Food and Agriculture Organization’s 2015 report on climate change and food security , climate change is expected to increasingly impact agricultural productivity in the future and, “The people who are projected to suffer the earlier and the worst impacts from climate change are the most vulnerable populations.”

By hearing stories of my godmother’s experiences on the farm and by learning from Tuskegee professors Desmond Mortley and Lucy Asare-Baah’s experiences in helping the decrease of food waste, I can say that I have learned to become more aware of how I handle my food. Instead of throwing away a dish that I did not like, I make sure to eat it all or if I am unsure about a dish, I will start off with a little helping instead of immediately filling up my plate. I think that if everyone becomes aware of how they personally contribute to food waste, then we can decrease this issue as well as ease the hunger of the homeless population. .

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Food waste is the symptom, not the problem

Professor of Food Policy, City, University of London

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Tim Lang is affiliated with City University London

City, University of London provides funding as a founding partner of The Conversation UK.

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Foundation essay: This article on food waste by Tim Lang, Professor of Food Policy at City University London , is part of a series marking the launch of The Conversation in the UK. Our foundation essays are longer than our usual comment and analysis articles and take a wider look at key issues affecting society.

Modern societies have a problem with waste. The entire economy is wasteful, a distortion of needs and wants. It overproduces and we under-consume - that’s what the current financial crisis is about. Debt was dangled in front of us urging us to consume. Then when the debt mirage evaporated, crashing us back to reality, consumption nosedived. Meanwhile the public sector is being cut to bail out the banking debt. Result: human waste in the form of unemployment, squeezed wages, uncertainty, rising inequalities.

In food, the lunacy of this situation is visible even more starkly than in economics. In nature, there’s no waste. When an apple or fruit or leaves fall from a tree in the woods, the rotting process folds back the embedded energy and matter, dissolving the “waste” into other lifeforms - worms, insects, microbes - which replenish the soil. If I drop an apple in the city, it sits on the tarmac as waste, a potential problem for someone to attend to.

At a large scale, this illustrates our societal problem with food. The food system overproduces, wraps food in packaging, embeds energy, chucks away mountains of usable food, and produces food residues. All this is done on such a massive scale that the waste we’ve made is too dangerous even to feed to pigs, one traditional solution.

The food industry is aware of its waste problem. The voluntary Courtauld Commitment , struck in 2005, has cut millions of tonnes of household and supply chain food and packaging waste – savings worth billions of pounds. Its third phase aims further to chip away at the estimated seven million tonnes of food thrown away each year. But still the waste keeps piling up – why? Because waste is not the problem; it is the symptom.

Organisations like Wrap and its “ Love Food, Hate Waste ” campaign have spent more than a decade arguing that food waste is an iniquity that should be stamped out. Their argument is that waste is inefficient. It is. But politicians and scientific advisers said the same thing in the 1920s and 1930s. Then, waste was associated poor storage on farms that left crops to rot. If only we cut that waste, scientists at the time argued, we could feed the world. They argued persuasively that better storage, refrigeration and transport could help, alongside massive investment in newer farming techniques and technologies, particularly fertilisers and mechanisation.

The food revolution they designed worked. After the Second World War food supply increased. Farm waste dropped. But so remarkable was the food revolution right down the food supply chain that the combination of economic signals (such as price), product standardisation, marketing, consumer de-skilling and consumer demand have created an over-supply situation where in much of the developing world “old style” farm waste continues, but in the developed world – our world – “new” waste proliferates. No wonder policymakers are both latching onto the issue today (it suits the moral agenda) and find it difficult to sort out.

Two Worlds of Waste

There’s one new feature in all this, which threatens the neo-liberal market agenda. Consumers are being subtly blamed. The customer who was sovereign is now wasteful. Privately, many in the food industry know consumer behaviour patterns must change as climate change and other long-term drivers kick in. But no one is saying that overtly yet, except some academic critics and civil society campaigners. In truth, society is not clear about what it wants from its food.

In the developing world, consumers waste very little. When your entire society is poor, you conserve and manage resources. But in our rich societies, characterised by resource wealth – cars, housing, infrastructure - even if you are cash poor, the entire food culture is factored around waste. It’s rightly pointed out that it’s wrong to blame consumers for buying too much bagged salad or throwing food away if the label carries an unrealistic best-before date, or if consumers aren’t taught how to cook, if supermarkets peddle BOGOF deals and price offers, and if the entire food sector spends hundreds of millions on advertising. Which confectionery firm doesn’t entice kids to consume by their clever games and interactions? The result: health waste.

It’s no wonder the entire food economy is a mess. There’s a structured mismatch between production, consumption, environment, health and social values. The simple principle of recycling waste back into nature becomes a heroic task.

The result is that avoidable waste - such as crops rotting in the field, pest infestations, lack of infrastructure and investment – is as prevalent now in 2013 in the developing world as it was in the rich world of the 1930s. Africa, given the right investment, could raise output many times over, although climate change, water stress and geopolitical turmoil add uncertainties. Meanwhile, in the rich world hypermarkets are awash with a dizzying variety of food, at unprecedentedly low prices. But here too, uncertainties loom: farmers and their land are squeezed in a contractual lock-in to the giant retailers who gate-keep the system. And bad diet now adds spiralling healthcare costs to economies.

The cost versus the value of food

Britain has a peculiar variant of this general problem. It is a parasitic food state. Britons live quite a lot off other people’s land and resources and grow less than 60% of the food we eat, according to Defra’s latest UK agricultural statistics . The gap between what the UK imports and exports is now a huge £19.4 billion annual deficit. That means a lot of other exports have to be made and sold abroad to pay to feed ourselves - food like fruit and veg which we could and should grow. Our land use is bizarre. An estimated 40% of cereals grown on prime land is fed to animals to make cheap meat. Animals are poor converters. Meat ought to be exceptional food not ubiquitous. The burgerisation of food culture is systemic waste.

This is all complex. There are no easy messages in this analysis. But that’s what political processes ought to sort out. By any terms, the current food system is unsustainable, but the implications are immense. After 70 years of investing in one food system, we now need to rapidly change - this is both an economic and cultural challenge. As a society, whereas once we were aware of the worth of our food, now it has become ubiquitous fuel. we never stop eating and thus wasting. It’s everywhere – any 500 yard stretch along a city street will take you past dozens of feeding stations. Bad food joints circle schools, targeting kids, setting expectations. Media pour out messages: buy me, eat me, like me. The problem is that when something becomes cheap or ubiquitous, it gets abused and taken for granted.

Back to that apple on the tarmac. WRAP and its Courtauld Commitments follow some heroic work done over the last 25 years by small civil society organisations and pioneering local authorities to introduce and mainstream municipal composting, trying to complete the ecological cycle. But these efforts are not mainstreamed, and mass food systems turn a simple biological cycle into Byzantine complexity. This isn’t helped by lack of political cohesion from government, which is happy for initiatives to make the food system more sustainable to remain at arms’ length. The food system needs firm and clear frameworks and goals, and not just a focus on one aspect - waste - as though it can be separated from the rest. Regulations can work - the EU landfill tax worked, levelling the playing field and penalising those manufacturers and consumers who don’t care what happens to their product after they’ve used it.

The good thing about the food waste issue is that it raises fundamental questions. One is about costs. Since the repeal of the Corn Laws in 1846, the pursuit of cheaper food has been hard-wired into British politics. Bringing prices down from when working class households spent 50% of income on food enabled people to eat better. But now we over-eat.

Back in the 19th century, manufacturers wanted cheap food to get cheap labour, food being a factor in labour costs. Now, we need to ask how cheap is cheap? If cheap food encourages unhealthy eating, and dumps costs on the environment and healthcare, is it cheap? If a food system is as wasteful as ours, what does that tell us? Blaming consumers for waste is like saying “We have the right food system, just the wrong consumers.” But of course, blaming consumers is much easier for politicians than fixing a broken system.

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The Big Picture

Food waste occurs along the entire spectrum of production, from the farm to distribution to retailers to the consumer . Reasons include losses from mold, pests, or inadequate climate control; losses from cooking; and intentional food waste. [1]

This waste is categorized differently based on where it occurs:

Food “loss” occurs before the food reaches the consumer as a result of issues in the production, storage, processing, and distribution phases.
Food “waste” refers to food that is fit for consumption but consciously discarded at the retail or consumption phases.

Wasted food has far-reaching effects, both nationally and globally. In the U.S., up to 40% of all food produced goes uneaten [2], and about 95% of discarded food ends up in landfills [3]. It is the largest component of municipal solid waste at 21%. [1] In 2014, more than 38 million tons of food waste was generated, with only 5% diverted from landfills and incinerators for composting. [3] Decomposing food waste produces methane, a strong greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming. Worldwide, one-third of food produced is thrown away uneaten, causing an increased burden on the environment. [4] It is estimated that reducing food waste by 15% could feed more than 25 million Americans every year. [5]

Benefits of Less Food Waste

Cost savings on labor through more efficient handling, preparation, and storage of food that will be used.
Cost savings when purchasing only as much food as needed, and avoiding additional costs of disposal.
Reduced methane emissions from landfills and a lower carbon footprint.
Better management of energy and resources, preventing pollution involved in the growing, manufacturing, transporting, and selling of food.
Community benefits by providing donated, untouched, and safe food that would otherwise be thrown out. [6]

Proposed Solutions to Food Waste

Globally, reducing wasted food has been cited as a key initiative in achieving a sustainable food future . Sustainable Development Goal 12 addresses responsible consumption and production, which includes two indicators to measure (in order to ultimately reduce) global food loss and food waste. [7]

In the U.S, on June 4, 2013, the Department of Agriculture and Environmental Protection Agency launched the U.S. Food Waste Challenge, calling on entities across the food chain, including farms, agricultural processors, food manufacturers, grocery stores, restaurants, universities, schools, and local governments. [1] The goals are to:

Reduce food waste by improving product development, storage, shopping/ordering, marketing, labeling, and cooking methods.
Recover food waste by connecting potential food donors to hunger relief organizations like food banks and pantries.
Recycle food waste to feed animals or to create compost, bioenergy, and natural fertilizers.

On September 16, 2015, both agencies also announced for the first time a national food loss and waste goal, calling for a 50% reduction by 2030 to improve overall food security and conserve natural resources.

The National Resources Defense Council issued a summary paper providing guidelines on how to reduce waste throughout the food production chain. [2] The following are some focal points:

State and local governments can incorporate food waste prevention and education campaigns, and implement municipal composting programs. Governments can provide tax credits to farmers who donate excess produce to local food banks. Proposed bills are currently in place in California, Arizona, Oregon, and Colorado.
Businesses such as restaurants, grocery stores, and institutional food services can evaluate the extent of their food waste and adopt best practices. Examples include supermarkets selling damaged or nearly expired produce at discounted prices, or offering “half-off” promotions instead of “buy-one-get-one-free” promotions. Restaurants can offer smaller portions and donate excess ingredients and prepared uneaten food to charities. Schools may experiment with concepts that allow children to create their own meals to prevent less discarded food, such as with salad bars or build-your-own burritos.
Farms can evaluate food losses during processing, distribution, and storage and adopt best practices. Farmers markets can sell “ugly” produce, which are discarded, misshapen fruits and vegetables that do not meet the usual standards for appearance. Farms can sell fresh but unmarketable produce (due to appearance) to food banks at a reduced rate.
Consumers can learn when food is no longer safe and edible, how to cook and store food properly, and how to compost. See Tackling Food Waste at Home .

Food Recovery Hierarchy graphic by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Source reduction : Earliest prevention by reducing the overall volume of food produced
Feed hungry people : Donating excess food to community sites
Feed animals : Donating food scraps and waste to local farmers who can use them for animal feed
Industrial uses : Donating used fats, oils, and grease to make biodiesel fuel
Composting : Food waste that is composted to produce organic matter that is used to fertilize soil
Landfill/Incineration : A last resort for unused food

Read Next: Tackling Food Waste at Home »

Reducing meal waste in schools: A healthy solution
Sustainability
The Food Law and Policy Clinic of Harvard Law School
United States Department of Agriculture. U.S Food Waste Challenge. https://www.usda.gov/oce/foodwaste/faqs.htm Accessed 3/20/2017.
Gunders, D., Natural Resources Defense Council. Wasted: How America Is Losing Up to 40 Percent of Its Food from Farm to Fork to Landfill. Issue Paper, August 2012. IP: 12-06-B. https://www.nrdc.org/sites/default/files/wasted-food-IP.pdf Accessed 3/20/2017.
United States Environmental Protection Agency. Sustainable Management of Food. https://www.epa.gov/sustainable-management-food Accessed 3/20/2017.
Salemdeeb Ramy, Font Vivanco D, Al-Tabbaa A, Zu Ermgassen EK. A holistic approach to the environmental evaluation of food waste prevention. Waste Manag . 2017 Jan;59:442-450.
D. Hall, J. Guo, M. Dore, C.C. Chow, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, “The Progressive Increase of Food Waste in America and Its environmental Impact,” PLoS ONE 4(11):e7940, 2009.
United States Environmental Protection Agency. How to Prevent Wasted Food Through Source Reduction https://www.epa.gov/sustainable-management-food/how-prevent-wasted-food-through-source-reduction Accessed 3/20/2017.
United Nations. Sustainable Development Goal 12.3. http://www.fao.org/sustainable-development-goals/indicators/1231/en/ . Accessed 1/16/2018.
United States Environmental Protection Agency. Food Recovery Hierarchy. https://www.epa.gov/sustainable-management-food/food-recovery-hierarchy Accessed 3/20/2017.

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Food Waste - Free Essay Examples And Topic Ideas

Food Waste refers to the discarding or loss of food that could have been consumed. Essays might delve into the reasons for food waste, its environmental, economic, and social implications, and potential solutions to reduce it. This topic can also touch on the contrast between food wastage and global hunger issues. A substantial compilation of free essay instances related to Food Waste you can find at PapersOwl Website. You can use our samples for inspiration to write your own essay, research paper, or just to explore a new topic for yourself.

Food Waste Causes and Effects

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Love Food Hate Waste

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Global Food Waste: how to Effectively and Efficiently Battle Food Waste

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The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

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Food waste: a global problem that undermines healthy diets

Food waste, pictured here at Lira market in Uganda, is a significant challenge for farmers and vendors alike.

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A lack of food, hunger and malnutrition affect every country in the world, the UN said on Tuesday, in an urgent appeal for action to reduce the amount of food that’s wasted.

The call comes as the Food and Agriculture Organization ( FAO ) said that 17 per cent of all food available to consumers in 2019, ended up being thrown away.

An additional 132 million people face food and nutrition insecurity today because of the COVID-19 pandemic, FAO said, ahead of the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste , on Wednesday 29 September.

Global problem

The problem of food waste is a global one and not limited to wealthy nations alone, said Nancy Aburto, Deputy Director of FAO’s Food and Nutrition Division Economic and Social Development Stream, speaking at a press conference in Geneva.

“Food insecurity, hunger and malnutrition are impacting every country in the world and no country is unaffected; 811 million people suffer hunger, two billion suffer micronutrient deficiencies – that’s vitamin and mineral deficiencies - and millions of children suffer stunting and wasting, deadly forms of under-nutrition.”

The FAO official warned that the high cost of “healthy” diets, meant that they were now “out of reach” of every region in the world, including Europe.

She also said that more countries needed to embrace innovation to reduce waste, such as new packaging that can prolong the shelf-life of many foods, while smartphone apps can bring consumers closer to producers, reducing the time between harvest and plate.

Repercussions of food waste

Reducing food loss and waste would improve agri-food systems and help towards achieving food security, food safety and food quality, all while delivering on nutritional outcomes.

According to FAO, it would also contribute “significantly to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, as well as pressure on land and water resources”.

With less than nine years left to reach Sustainable Development Goal ( SDG ) 12 on ensuring sustainable consumption, and target 12.3 to halve per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels, there is an urgent need to accelerate action, up to the 2030 deadline.

Takeaways for action:

Reducing food loss and waste, strengthens the sustainability of food systems and improves planetary health.
Increasing the efficiency of food systems and reducing food loss and waste, requires investment in innovation, technologies and infrastructure.
Composting food waste is better than sending it to a landfill, but preventing waste in the first place, lessens its impact on the environment.
Maximizing the positive impacts of reducing food loss and waste, requires good governance and human capital development.

However, this requires national and local authorities along with businesses and individuals to prioritize actions in this direction and contribute to restoring and improving agri-food systems.

Fruit and veg

And with just three months to go, during this International Year of Fruits and Vegetables , FAO has reminded that produce provides human nutrition and food security while working to achieve the SDGs.

“In the current health crisis we are facing around the world, promoting healthy diets to strengthen our immune systems is especially appropriate”, FAO chief QU Dongyu said , kicking off the year last December.

He also noted that food loss and waste in the fruits and vegetables

sector remain a problem with considerable consequences, pointing out that “innovative technologies and approaches are of critical importance”, as they can help maintain safety and quality, “increasing the shelf life of fresh produce items and preserving their high nutritional value”.

UN International Days

Essay on Wastage of Food

Introduction

Every day, while countless individuals worldwide struggle to feed themselves and their families, vast amounts of perfectly edible food are needlessly discarded. According to a recent study, roughly one-third of all food produced for human consumption, amounting to about 1.3 billion tons annually, is wasted. This quantity of wasted food could potentially feed three billion people. Alarmingly, nearly one billion people worldwide suffer from hunger and go to bed hungry every night. In a world where hunger persists as a pressing issue, this squandering of resources is not just an abstract concept but a harsh reality with tangible consequences. Let’s delve deeper into the labyrinth of food waste, exploring its causes, impacts, and, most importantly, potential solutions for a brighter, more sustainable future.

Causes of Food Waste

Food waste stems from many interconnected causes, spanning from the beginning of the food supply chain to the consumer’s kitchen. Understanding these causes is crucial for devising effective strategies to combat this issue.

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1. Production and Supply Chain Inefficiencies

Overproduction : Agricultural practices often prioritize high yields to meet market demands, producing surplus crops that may go unsold or unharvested.
Harvesting and Post-Harvest Losses : Inadequate infrastructure, poor transportation, and storage facilities contribute to significant losses of perishable foods during harvesting, processing, and transportation.
Supply Chain Disruptions : Natural disasters, pests, and diseases can disrupt the supply chain, resulting in food losses before reaching consumers.

2. Consumer Behavior and Attitudes

Food Spoilage : Consumers often discard food due to misunderstanding expiration dates or improper storage practices, leading to premature spoilage.
Overserving and Overordering : Restaurants and households may prepare or order more food than necessary, leading them to discard leftovers eventually.
Preference for Perfect Produce : Consumers tend to favor aesthetically pleasing fruits and vegetables, leading to the rejection of imperfect but perfectly edible produce by retailers and consumers alike.

3. Retail Practices and Standards

Strict Quality Standards : Retailers impose strict cosmetic standards on fruits and vegetables, leading to the rejection of imperfect produce that does not meet these standards.
Bulk Packaging and Portion Sizes : Restaurants and households may prepare or order more food than necessary, leading to leftovers that they eventually discard.
Promotional Sales and Discounts : Retailers often use promotional sales and discounts to clear excess inventory, which leads to consumers’ over-purchasing and subsequent food waste.

4. Food Industry Practices

Marketing and Consumerism : Advertising and marketing techniques encourage overconsumption and impulse buying, leading to excess food purchases and subsequent waste.
Short Shelf Life Products : Food manufacturers may prioritize convenience and taste over shelf life, resulting in products with shorter expiration dates and a higher likelihood of being wasted.
Portion Sizes in Food Service : Large portion sizes in restaurants and fast-food chains encourage overeating and subsequent food waste.

Impacts of Food Waste

The impacts of food waste are far-reaching and multifaceted, affecting the environment, economy, and society in significant ways. Let’s delve into the detailed explanations of these impacts:

Greenhouse Gas Emissions : Food waste breaks down anaerobically in landfills, releasing methane, one of the main greenhouse gases contributing to climate change. Methane is approximately 25 times more effective at trapping atmospheric heat than carbon dioxide over 100 years.
Resource Depletion : Food production uses many natural resources , including energy, land, and water. When people waste food, they effectively squander these resources. For example, food that is ultimately wasted accounts for approximately 25% of global freshwater usage.
Biodiversity Loss : Agriculture is a leading driver of deforestation and habitat destruction. When people waste food, it exacerbates the pressure on natural ecosystems for land conversion and agricultural expansion, leading to biodiversity loss and habitat degradation.
Soil Degradation : Intensive agricultural practices associated with food production can degrade soil quality through erosion, nutrient depletion, and chemical contamination. Food waste exacerbates this issue by amplifying the need for more intensive agricultural practices to meet demand, leading to further soil degradation.
Financial Losses : Food waste represents a loss of resources invested in production, transportation, and storage. Food waste translates into direct financial losses for farmers, retailers, and consumers as invested capital fails to yield returns.
Increased Production Costs : The need to produce more food to compensate for wasted resources drives up production costs, leading to higher consumer prices. Additionally, food waste disposal costs, such as transportation and landfill fees, impose additional costs on municipalities and waste management systems.
Decreased Food Security : Food waste exacerbates food insecurity by diverting resources from efforts to alleviate hunger and poverty. Producers and disposal of food waste could redirect resources towards improving access to nutritious food for vulnerable populations.
Food Inequality : While staggering food waste rates persist, millions worldwide struggle with hunger and malnutrition. Food waste exacerbates food inequality by perpetuating disparities in access to food resources and exacerbating food insecurity among marginalized communities.
Ethical Concerns : In a world where food is wasted while people go hungry, ethics and social justice questions arise. The moral implications of wasting food in the face of global hunger raise concerns about fairness, equity, and social responsibility .
Health Impacts : Food waste can indirectly impact health by contributing to poor dietary choices and nutritional deficiencies. Additionally, the environmental consequences of food waste, such as air and water pollution, can negatively affect public health.

Solutions to Combat Food Waste

A multi-faceted approach is necessary to combat food waste effectively, addressing various stages of the food supply chain and involving stakeholders at different levels. Here’s a step-by-step explanation of solutions to combat food waste:

1. Improving Production and Distribution Processes

Implementing Technology for Better Inventory Management : Farmers, food manufacturers, and distributors can improve inventory management by leveraging cutting-edge technology like blockchain , data analytics , and Internet of Things (IoT) sensors. These technologies provide real-time insights into supply chain operations, allowing for more accurate forecasting, reduced overproduction, and optimized distribution.
Reducing Overproduction through Data Analytics : Food manufacturers and retailers can better precisely estimate demand by analyzing past sales data, industry trends, and consumer preferences. By adjusting production levels to match demand, producers can minimize overproduction and prevent surplus food from entering the waste stream.

2. Educating Consumers

Educating People on the Effects of Food Waste: Public education campaigns can increase awareness about food waste’s environmental, economic, and social impacts. Through advertisements, social media campaigns, and educational programs, consumers can learn about the importance of reducing food waste and adopting more sustainable consumption habits.
Providing Tips for Reducing Food Waste at Home : Practical tips and guidelines for reducing food waste at home can empower consumers to make more informed decisions about food purchasing, storage, and preparation. Tips may include proper meal planning, creative use of leftovers, and understanding date labeling terminology.

3. Policy Interventions

Implementing Regulations to Minimize Waste in Retail and Food Service Industries : Governments can enact regulations to mandate food waste reduction measures in retail establishments, restaurants, and food service providers. These measures may include food waste tracking and reporting, donation requirements for surplus food, and incentives for businesses to implement waste reduction strategies.
Offering Incentives for Businesses and Individuals to Reduce Waste : Governments can provide financial incentives, tax breaks, or grants to businesses implementing food waste reduction initiatives. Similarly, governments can incentivize individuals and households by offering tax credits or rebates to adopt sustainable practices such as composting, purchasing imperfect produce, or donating surplus food to food banks.

4. Collaboration and Partnerships

Public-Private Partnerships : Collaboration between government agencies, non-profit organizations, academia, and private sector stakeholders is essential for comprehensively addressing food waste. By pooling resources, expertise, and networks, these partnerships can develop innovative solutions, share best practices, and scale up successful interventions.
Supply Chain Collaboration : For food waste to be as low as possible, cooperation between farmers, processors, distributors, retailers, and consumers is essential. Supply chain partners can collectively identify inefficiencies, streamline operations, and reduce waste by fostering transparent communication , sharing data, and coordinating efforts.

5. Investment in Infrastructure and Technology

Infrastructure Upgrades : Investing in infrastructure upgrades, such as cold storage facilities, transportation networks, and food processing technologies, can help minimize food losses during harvesting, storage, and transportation.
Research and Development : Throughout the supply chain, funding research and development projects can decrease food waste and increase the shelf life of perishable food by creating cutting-edge technology, packaging options, and preservation techniques.

Places Where Food Waste Occurs

Food waste occurs at various supply chain stages and in different settings. Here are some common places where people waste food:

1. Households

Leftovers : Uneaten food from meals often ends up in the trash due to improper storage, forgotten items in the back of the refrigerator, or reluctance to eat leftovers.
Expired Food : People frequently discard food items past their expiration dates, even though they may still be safe to consume.
Overbuying : Purchasing more food than necessary leads to excess perishable items that may spoil before consumption.
Food Preparation Waste : During meal preparation, people often discard trimmings, peels, and scraps instead of composting them or using them for cooking.

2. Restaurants and Food Service Industry

Plate Waste : Customers may leave uneaten food on their plates, which is then discarded by restaurants.
Overproduction : Restaurants often prepare more food than necessary to meet demand, leading to a surplus that goes unsold and ultimately wasted.
Spoilage : Perishable ingredients and prepared dishes may spoil if not used quickly enough, resulting in food waste.
Buffet Systems : Buffet-style restaurants may have excess food left over at the end of service, much of which goes to waste.

3. Retailers

Produce Aisle : Retailers often reject imperfect or cosmetically flawed fruits and vegetables, leaving them unsold and contributing to food waste.
Bakery : Imperfect or cosmetically flawed fruits and vegetables often face rejection by retailers, leading to their unsold status and contributing to food waste.
Expiration Dates : Retailers may remove items from shelves based on expiration dates, even if the food is still safe to eat, contributing to unnecessary waste.
Promotional Sales : Excess inventory resulting from promotional sales may increase waste if retailers do not sell the items before expiration.

4. Events and Catering

Buffets and Banquets : Events with buffet-style dining often result in excess food that is left uneaten and subsequently discarded.
Overordering : Caterers may overestimate the amount of food needed for an event, resulting in wasted surplus food.
Single-Use Packaging : Events often use single-use packaging and utensils, contributing to additional waste that may include leftover food.

5. Institutions

Schools : Cafeterias in schools may serve more food than students can consume, leading to plate waste and discarded items.
Hospitals : Hospitals and healthcare facilities may discard uneaten patient meals due to dietary restrictions or patient preferences.
Prisons : Like hospitals, prisons may generate food waste from uneaten meals or leftovers.

Case Studies and Success Stories

Here are Notable Case Studies and Success Stories in Combating Food Waste:

Feeding America’s MealConnect Program : Feeding America, a leading hunger-relief organization, launched the MealConnect program to connect food donors with surplus food to local nonprofits that can distribute it to those in need. Through an online platform, businesses such as restaurants, grocery stores, and caterers can easily donate excess food, reducing waste while addressing food insecurity. This initiative has facilitated the donation of millions of meals across the United States, demonstrating the power of technology and collaboration in reducing food waste.
The Love Food Hate Waste Campaign (UK) : Launched by the UK’s WRAP (Waste and Resources Action Programme), the Love Food Hate Waste campaign seeks to minimize food waste at home and increase public awareness of the negative financial and environmental effects of food waste. Through engaging social media campaigns, educational materials, and community outreach events, the campaign has successfully encouraged millions of households to adopt more sustainable food consumption habits, significantly reducing food waste nationwide.
Tesco’s Surplus Food Redistribution Program : One of the biggest grocery stores in the UK, Tesco, teamed up with food waste reduction group FoodCloud and food redistribution charity FareShare to start a surplus food redistribution program. Through this initiative, Tesco donates unsold food that is still safe for consumption to local charities and community groups. By leveraging technology to streamline donation logistics and engaging employees through training and awareness campaigns, Tesco has redistributed millions of meals to those in need while diverting food from landfills.
The Gleaning Network (France) : In France, the Gleaning Network—managed by the NGO Les Restos du Coeur—organizes volunteers to gather excess vegetables from farms that would otherwise be thrown away because of flaws in appearance or an excess of inventory. By organizing gleaning events and working directly with farmers, the network rescues thousands of tons of fruits and vegetables each year, distributed to food banks and charitable organizations to feed the hungry. This grassroots initiative demonstrates the potential for community-driven solutions to simultaneously address food waste and food insecurity.
Agricycle’s Upcycled Food Products : Agricycle, a social enterprise based in Kenya, upcycles surplus and imperfect produce into value-added food products such as dried fruits, fruit powders, and snacks. By sourcing produce directly from smallholder farmers and processing it into shelf-stable products, Agricycle reduces food waste, creates economic opportunities for farmers, and provides nutritious food options to consumers. Agricycle’s products are reaching new markets through partnerships with retailers and distributors and raising awareness about reducing food waste while promoting sustainable consumption.

Challenges and Roadblocks

Lack of Awareness : Raising awareness among consumers, businesses, and legislators about the scope of the issue and possible remedies is one of the main obstacles in the fight against food waste.
Behavioral and Cultural Norms : Deeply ingrained behaviors and cultural attitudes towards food, such as the perception of abundance and the stigma associated with imperfect produce, pose significant barriers to reducing food waste.
Economic Incentives : Economic incentives often favor wasteful practices, such as bulk discounts and low-cost disposal options, making it difficult for businesses to prioritize waste reduction initiatives.
Infrastructure Limitations : Inadequate food storage, transportation, and processing infrastructure in certain regions can contribute to food losses and waste along the supply chain.
Regulatory Barriers : Regulatory barriers, such as date labeling laws and food safety regulations, may inadvertently contribute to food waste by promoting premature disposal of perfectly edible food.
Supply Chain Complexity : The complexity of modern food supply chains, with multiple actors and intermediaries involved, makes it challenging to coordinate efforts to reduce waste effectively.
Logistical Challenges : At different points in the supply chain, logistical issues, such as erratic demand swings, traffic jams, and storage capacity constraints, can worsen food loss.
Resource Constraints : Limited financial resources, technical expertise, and access to technologies may hinder the implementation of food waste reduction initiatives, particularly in low-resource settings.
Inertia and Resistance to Change : Resistance to change and inertia within organizations and institutions can impede efforts to adopt innovative solutions and implement waste reduction measures.
External Pressures : External pressures, such as market competition, consumer preferences, and shareholder expectations, may discourage businesses from prioritizing sustainability and waste reduction over short-term profits.

Tackling the pervasive issue of food waste requires concerted efforts at every level of the food supply chain and in every corner of society. While challenges and roadblocks abound, the case studies of successful initiatives demonstrate that solutions are within reach. We can drastically cut down on food waste and create a more sustainable future by increasing awareness, altering behavior, implementing cutting-edge technologies, and passing laws that support our efforts. With commitment, collaboration, and collective action, we can turn the tide against food waste, ensuring we preserve precious resources, alleviate hunger, and safeguard our planet for future generations.

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University of Illinois
College of ACES

Food Waste: An Introduction to the Issue and Questions that Remain

Food waste is a problem throughout the supply chain and across the globe that is increasingly capturing the attention of policymakers. Gustavsson et al. (2011) estimated that one-third of the food produced for consumption globally is lost or wasted. Within the U.S., Buzby et al. (2014) estimated that 31% of food available at the retail and consumer levels was wasted, which translates to a loss of $161 billion and 141 trillion calories per year (enough calories to feed ~ 193,000,000 people a daily diet of 2,000 calories for a year!) – not to mention the loss of the (scarce) resource inputs like land, water, and energy that went into food production.

How is food waste defined?

Discussions on food waste may also reference the term “food loss”; the terms sound synonymous, but there are distinctions between the two. An ERS report by Buzby et al. (2014) uses the following definitions for food loss and food waste:

“ Food loss represents the amount of edible food, postharvest, that is available for human consumption but is not consumed for any reason. It includes cooking loss and natural shrinkage; loss from mold, pests, or inadequate climate control; and plate waste.”
“ Food waste is a component of food loss and occurs when an edible item goes unconsumed, such as food discarded by retailers due to undesirable color or blemishes and plate waste discarded by consumers.”

Efforts to address food loss have been ongoing in developing countries, such as improvements in harvesting and storage technology, biological controls, etc. For more on research addressing food loss (postharvest loss), see Affognon et al. (2015) and Hodges et al. (2011). Conversely, efforts to address food waste have been more recent. The remainder of this article focuses on the more narrowly defined issue of food waste.

What is being done to reduce food waste?

The costs of food waste (economic and otherwise) have driven efforts in both the public and private sectors to reduce food waste along the supply chain. In the public sector, there are national and international initiatives ( U.S. Food Waste Challenge and SAVE FOOD Initiative , respectively) that set waste reduction goals and are designed to facilitate knowledge sharing and best practices for waste reduction across the supply chain. Further, there has been an increase in legislation related to food waste. In the U.S., legislation was introduced to clarify date labeling (“sell by”, “use by”, “best by”, etc.) on food products. In France, a new law was passed that bans supermarkets from throwing away unsold food; instead, they will be required to donate it (Chrisafis, 2016). Although less recent, the South Korean government implemented a volume-based food waste fee system in 2010 where households are forced to pay based on the weight of their waste.

In the private sector, we have also seen the formation of knowledge-sharing groups (e.g., Food Waste Reduction Alliance ). In addition, many technological solutions have been introduced that are designed to help track waste (e.g., LeanPath ), more optimally plan, shop and cook, donate leftovers, and so on (Hutcherson, 2013). Finally, there has been an increase in the selling of “ugly” fruits and vegetables (those fruits and vegetables that would not normally comply with the cosmetic standards required by retailers). The movement is credited to a grocery retailer in France (Intermarche) but has quickly expanded. Major U.S. retailers such as Walmart and Whole Foods are offering “ugly” fruits and vegetables in their produce sections. Both efforts are currently in pilot phase, but with the intention to expand (see Godoy, 2016 for more information).

Questions that remain about food waste

While many reports and food waste reduction initiatives in the public and private sectors identify households (consumers) as one of the biggest sources of food waste, there has been little research to understand how households actually make decisions on throwing out food. Further, this decision is rarely framed as an economic decision, with costs and benefits. There are most certainly cases where the decision to waste may be optimal, depending on one’s preferences, incentives, and resource constraints. For instance, an individual may prefer to throw out milk that is several days past the expiration date rather than run the risk of becoming ill. In discussing his household production model, Becker (1965) suggests that Americans should be more wasteful than people in developing countries because the opportunity cost of their time exceeds the market prices of food and other goods. Thus, it will be critical for future research to account for the different factors that play a role in the keep/waste decision to determine the tradeoffs consumers make in this process.

In addition to examining the waste decision in economic terms, it will be important to explore the heterogeneity across consumers when making these decisions. In other words, we may be able to identify that, in general, consumers will be more averse to wasting food when the cost of that food was high or when there is a replacement readily available; however, some types of people may be even more or less responsive to such factors than the average person. Research has already suggested that income may impact a household’s likelihood of wasting food (Becker, 1965; Daniel, 2016; Qi and Roe, 2016); however, other factors such as age, education, SNAP participation, etc. should also be examined. Understanding these differences may enable policymakers or advocacy groups to better tailor educational efforts to high-waste households.

A final question related to household food waste is: how do we motivate households to change their behavior? Though many ideas come to mind (e.g., education campaigns, waste taxes or waste reduction subsidies, changes in portion sizes or packaging), the answer to this question will likely depend on the household waste decision process, so it is imperative to understand this first before making policy recommendations.

Future articles on food waste will provide insight on some of my own research in this area, including preliminary results from an online survey where we attempt to learn more about the household waste decision process. Additionally, I will share information on my ongoing plate waste study in the University of Illinois dining halls.

References:

Affognon, Hippolyte, Christopher Mutungi, Pascal Sanginga, and Christian Borgemeister. 2015. “Unpacking Postharvest Losses in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Meta-Analysis.” World Development , 66:49-68.

Becker, Gary S. 1965. “A Theory on the Allocation of Time.” The Economic Journal , 75(299):493-517.

Buzby, Jean C., Hodan F. Wells, and Jeffrey Hyman. 2014. “The Estimated Amount, Value, and Calories of Postharvest Food Losses at the Retail and Consumer Levels in the United States.” USDA Economic Research Service, Washington, DC, USA.

Chrisafis, Angelique. 2016. “French Law Forbids Food Waste by Supermarkets.” The Guardian , Available at http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/07/20/486664266/walmart-world-s-largest-grocer-is-now-selling-ugly-fruit-and-veg .

Daniel, Caitlin. 2016. “Economic Constraints on Taste Formation and the True Cost of Healthy Eating.” Social Science & Medicine , 148:34-41.

Godoy, Maria. 2016. “Wal-Mart, America’s Largest Grocer, Is Now Selling Ugly Fruit and Vegetables.” NPR The Salt , Available at http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/07/20/486664266/walmart-world-s-largest-grocer-is-now-selling-ugly-fruit-and-veg .

Gustavsson, Jenny, Christel Cederberg, Ulf Sonesson, Robert van Otterdijk, and Alexandre Meybeck. 2011. “Global Food Losses and Food Waste: Extent, Causes and Prevention.” Food and Agricultural Organization, Rome, Italy.

Hodges, R. J., J. C. Buzby, and B. Bennett. 2011. “Postharvest Losses and Waste in Developed and Less Developed Countries: Opportunities to Improve Resource Use.” Journal of Agricultural Science , 149:37-45.

Hutcherson, Aaron. 2013. “Waste Not, Want Not: 6 Technologies to Reduce Food Waste.” Food+Tech Connect. Available at https://foodtechconnect.com/2013/10/02/waste-not-want-not-6-technologies-to-reduce-food-waste/ .

Qi, Danyi, and Brian E. Roe. 2016. “Household Food Waste: Multivariate Regression and Principal Components Analyses of Awareness and Attitudes among U.S. Consumers.” PLoS ONE , 11(7): e0159250.

food loss , food waste , SNAP

Essay on Food Wastage

Students are often asked to write an essay on Food Wastage in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Food Wastage

What is food wastage.

Food wastage means throwing away food that could have been eaten. Every day, lots of food is wasted in homes, restaurants, and shops. This is a big problem because while some people have too much food, others don’t have enough.

Why Does Food Get Wasted?

Effects of food wastage.

Wasting food is bad for the environment. It uses up water and land to grow food that no one eats. When thrown away, food can also create harmful gases as it rots, which is bad for the air we breathe.

What Can We Do?

We can help by planning our meals and shopping lists. It’s important to only buy what we need. We can also learn how to store food properly and share leftovers with others. By doing these things, we can reduce food wastage.

250 Words Essay on Food Wastage

Why does food go to waste.

There are many reasons food gets wasted. At home, we might buy too much and can’t eat it all before it goes bad. Stores might not sell food because it doesn’t look perfect. On farms, fruits and vegetables that aren’t the right size or shape might not even be picked.

The Impact of Wasting Food

When we waste food, we also waste the water, energy, and work that went into making it. This can hurt our planet by creating more trash and pollution. Also, when food rots, it makes a gas that’s bad for the air.

Everyone can help stop food waste. We can plan our meals and only buy what we need. We can also learn how to store food so it stays fresh longer. Sharing food with others is a good idea too. If we have too much, we can give it to people who need it.

In conclusion, food wastage is a big issue that affects all of us. By being careful with how much food we buy and how we use it, we can make a big difference. It’s important for everyone to try and stop wasting food so we can help people, save money, and protect our planet.

500 Words Essay on Food Wastage

Food wastage refers to the food that is not eaten and thrown away. This can happen anywhere: at farms, stores, restaurants, and our homes. When we waste food, we also waste the water, energy, and effort used to grow, transport, and prepare it.

Why Does Food Wastage Happen?

When we throw away food, it affects the planet and people. Rotting food in landfills creates a gas called methane, which is bad for the air. Wasting food also means we need to grow more food than necessary, which can hurt the environment. Plus, when we waste food, we forget that there are many people who do not have enough to eat.

How Can We Reduce Food Waste?

To reduce food waste, we can start by planning our meals. This means we only buy what we need. We can also learn how to store food properly to make it last longer. Understanding food labels helps too, so we don’t throw away food that is still good to eat. If we have leftovers, we can save them for another meal instead of throwing them away.

Sharing and Recycling Food

Everyone plays a part.

Food wastage is a big problem that affects our planet and its people. But there is good news: everyone can help reduce it. By being careful about how much food we buy, how we store it, and making sure to eat leftovers, we can make a big difference. Sharing food with those in need and recycling scraps into compost are also great ways to help. If we all work together, we can waste less food and take better care of our world.

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The Current Problem of Food Waste

Categories: Food Waste

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Food Waste in the U.S.

Food waste poses a severe challenge in the United States, which has far-reaching consequences on the economy, environment, and society. In some way, about forty percent of the total food produced for human consumption is wasted by either loss before it reaches the consumer or lost after its purchase (Buzby et al., 2014). This situation represents the unnecessary wastage of many vital resources like water, labor, and nutrients. To find the solution to this issue, it is essential to know the various causes of food wastage in the country.

All the stages in the food supply chain that can manufacture, distribute, retail, and consume are areas where wasted foods may occur. Even though many studies have focused on waste at the level of the home, trash should be considered in other contexts as well( Bagherzadeh et al., 2014). This consideration reveals the importance of addressing waste management in private homes and public establishments, for instance, schools.

One of the causes of food waste is consumer belief that disposal will keep quality and safety. Consumers are happy to pay more for programs that extend the shelf life of food. This shows that consumers are worried about the quality and safety of food. Because of this misconception, people sometimes throw away perfectly edible food with visible flaws, or because of the product’s expiry date came and welcomes the consumers generally misunderstand the date labels on food products and throw away things that are not bad in any way but can still be consumed.

Several factors lead to food waste; one needs to be better and teach about the correct ways to preserve and store food. Poor understanding of proper storage procedures for customers’ fruits, vegetables, and leftovers may result in early lineage, hence waste and age (Cwastageal., 2019). This can be a negative result. It is, therefore, crucial to ensure that customers receive appropriate education programs through which they acquire knowledge and skills needed for reducing food waste in twasteouseholds.

The other significant aspect that leads to the wasting of food is economic issues. If a household has higher means, their chances of wasting food are more significant because they find it easier to substitute the lost produce when it spoils or does not favor them. Right now, many fruits and vegetables that do not pass stringent cosmetic standards are usually thrown away even though they are perfectly edible. Thus, by increasing the popularity of “ugly” fruits and vegetables among farmers and both parties, es can gain (Bagherzadeh et al.,2014). With less waste for farmers and more affordable, nutritional food items for consumers.

Composting programs can also be introduced. Rather than food scraps and other organic waste that can be composted and used as fertilizer instead up in landfills where they contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, food scrag food waste by encouraging households, restaurants, and businesses to compost their organic waste can help cities significantly reduce the number of foodstuffs sent to landfills. Food donation programs need to be extended. This is because several organizations and charities are already working towards collecting surplus food from restaurants, grocery stores, or even farms and giving it to needy people. On the other hand, this could be supplemented by offering incentives to businesses participating in donation programs and enhancing logistics to ensure that food reaches those requiring it (Bagherzadeh et al.,2014).

The second policy and regulation are those aspects that may reduce food waste. Policy less intricate examples include uniform date labeling and more precise guidelines for proper food storage, helping to minimize confusion amongst consumers and avoid the unnecessary discarding of edible products. Further, offering economic incentives to organizations who donate unused food left over from their operations for being delivered via and thereby reducing the amount of wasted surplus produce helps save companies from manufacturing rotten foods due to shortages and then dealing with food insecurity.

Lastly, food waste in the U.S. is a huge issue, and measures must be taken. Waste at all stages of the food supply chain must be considered, namely production, distribution, selling, and individual consumption. Different approaches can be taken to prevent food waste, such as advocating for imperfect produce, legislations, and regulations and establishing programs for growing activities such as all-en and composting programs. Not only can we protect critical resources, but by controlling food waste—the study of which is essentially a form of modeling and strategic planning given the inequality in available reference points —we decrease hunger, reduce greenhouse emission gases damage, pay homage to Kyoto protocols all while progressing toward greater sustainability. There needs to be a partnership between individual corporations and policymakers to solve this problem and create a food system that is economically and environmentally far more viable.

Bagherzadeh M, Inamura M, Jeong H. (2014). Food Waste Along the Food Chain. OECD Food, Agriculture and Fisheries Papers . https://doi.org/10.1787/5jxrcmftzj36-en

Buzby, J. C., Farah-Wells, H., & Hyman, J. (2014). The Estimated Amount, Value, and Calories of Postharvest Food Losses at the Retail and Consumer Levels in the United States. SSRN Electronic Journal , p. 121 . https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2501659

Capps, O., Ishdorj, A., Murano, P., Field, L., Hutto, A., & Storey, M. (2019). Waste Not Want Not: Examining Plate Waste of Vegetables in Elementary School Lunches. CHOICES , 34 (1). https://www.choicesmagazine.org/UserFiles/file/cmsarticle_667.pdf

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Causes of food waste.

Environmental Impact

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About Food Waste

Food waste is any food, and inedible parts of food, removed from the food supply chain to be recovered or disposed (including composted, crops ploughed in/not harvested, anaerobic digestion, bio-energy production, co-generation, incineration, disposal to sewer, landfill or discarded to sea)”

Most waste at manufacturing and processing facilities is generated while trimming off edible portions, such as skin, fat, crusts and peels from food also products from food and beverage processing facilities.

When we waste food, we also waste all the energy and water it takes to grow, harvest, transport, and package it. And if food goes to the landfill and rots, it produces methane—a greenhouse gas even more potent than carbon dioxide.

Save and eat leftovers safely, Adopt a healthier, more sustainable diet, Buy only what you need, Pick ugly fruit and vegetables, Store food wisely, Understand food labellingPut your food waste to use.

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