Food waste
Food waste refers to food that is discarded or cannot be used, and it is a significant global issue. In the United States alone, around 30% of food produced is wasted, leading to an estimated financial loss of $165 billion annually. Globally, approximately 13.2% of food is lost between harvest and retail, with an additional 19% wasted by consumers, restaurants, and retailers. Food loss typically occurs during production and transportation due to factors like strict appearance standards, spoilage, and inadequate storage, especially in developing countries. In contrast, food waste mainly occurs at the retail and consumer levels, often due to excess purchasing, improper storage, and cultural practices regarding food preparation.
The consequences of food waste are far-reaching, impacting both the environment and the economy. Decomposing food in landfills generates methane, a potent greenhouse gas, while the resources used in producing wasted food—such as land, water, and energy—are also lost. Efforts to mitigate food waste include restaurants offering smaller portions, improved food handling techniques, and consumers adhering to meal planning and proper food storage. Initiatives like the UN's International Day of Awareness on Food Loss and Waste Reduction aim to highlight these issues and promote strategies for reducing waste while addressing food security challenges.
Food waste
Food waste is food that is discarded or cannot be used. In the United States, about 30 percent of all food goes to waste. According to the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), this food waste accounts for about $165 billion lost each year. In 2024 the United Nations estimated that roughly 13.2 percent of all food worldwide is lost between harvest and retail; an additional 19 percent of food that is produced in the world is wasted by households, the food service industry, and retailers.
The Causes of Food Loss and Waste
Experts make a clear distinction between food waste and food loss. Food loss occurs when food is lost during production, postharvest, or processing. Food may be lost for many reasons. Farmers may leave crops unharvested because they do not meet the appearance criteria demanded by grocery stores. Other crops may be lost due to mold, pests, and natural disasters. In developing nations, harvested crops and animal products may be lost due to insufficient storage facilities. Foods can also be lost during the transportation process. Accidents may result in spillage, and foods may spoil if transportation is delayed. Additionally, poor packaging can result in food going bad before it gets to market.
Food waste occurs during the retail and consumer phases. Food retailers, including supermarkets and restaurants, and consumers discard food for a variety of reasons. Some retailers might discard fruits and vegetables that have blemishes or other defects that will concern consumers. Food is also wasted when managers order more product than is required by consumer demand. This unpurchased food will often be disposed after a standard period. Many restaurants offer overly large portions that diners do not finish. Others serve food buffet-style, and any food that is not consumed by the end of the evening is tossed into the garbage.
Consumers are also responsible for a large amount of food waste. People tend to purchase more food than is necessary to meet their needs. Sometimes the food will spoil before they can eat it. Improper handling and storage can also contribute to consumers' food waste. Forgetting to eat leftovers, overcooking food, and removing edible parts (such as skin and fat) to reduce calories are common forms of consumer food waste.
Consumer food waste is often affected by cultural traditions. While some cultures pride themselves on using all the edible parts of an animal, others are unlikely to use blood, intestines, brains, or other edible organs in their cuisine. In the Western world, many consumers simply discard these parts of the animal. For example, most people throw away the giblets (edible organs) that come with turkeys or chickens instead of using them to flavor sauces and other dishes.
Impact of Food Loss and Waste
Food loss and waste have significant consequences for people and the environment. The NRDC notes that Americans waste more than thirty-three million tons of food each year, which ends up in landfills. There, the food breaks down and releases methane, a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming. In addition, many valuable resources—including land, freshwater, and oil—are wasted in the production of food that is never consumed.
Food waste also costs a great deal of money. According to the NRDC, American consumers waste about $28 to $43 every month by throwing away food. It also costs about $750 million each year to dispose of this food waste.
The rapidly expanding population of the planet has raised major concerns about the availability of food in the near future. The projected population for the planet by 2050 is between nine and ten billion people. The United Nations estimates that humans will need to produce 70 percent more food to feed everyone on the planet. This is one of the reasons that reducing food loss and waste is crucial.
How to Prevent Food Waste
Food retailers and consumers can do many things to help reduce food waste. Some restaurants in the United States, for example, have already begun reducing food waste by offering smaller meal portions; historically, many US restaurants served larger portions than comparable restaurants in other countries. Other restaurants have worked to improve employees' skills to avoid waste created by improper handling and cooking techniques.
Some supermarkets are also trying to reduce waste. Many stores throw away an entire carton of eggs if one egg is cracked. Now, some companies are looking into technology that would allow employees to replace the cracked egg with a similar egg instead of throwing out the whole carton. Other grocery providers are turning food waste into compost that farmers can use to enrich their soil and grow more food.
Consumers can do their part as well. They can help decrease food waste just by reducing the amount of food they purchase. By making a meal plan for the week and sticking to a grocery list, consumers will not buy more than they need, and they will save money. In addition, people can decrease waste by eating leftovers or freezing leftover food before it goes bad.
They can also help by learning when certain foods actually expire. Although many foods in the United States have "sell-by" or "use-by" dates listed on their packing, the federal government does not regulate these suggested dates. Therefore, many foods may still be safe to consume after their expiration dates. Consumers can visit the United States Department of Agriculture's website for more information on food storage times following purchase.
Many international organizations have worked to raise awareness of food waste and search for strategies to reduce it. For example, the United Nations (UN) promotes an International Day of Awareness on Food Loss and Waste Reduction. The UN used this day as opportunity to highlight a number of issues connected to food waste, including rising hunger rates worldwide at that time as well as the negative environmental impact of food waste rotting in landfills and producing carbon emissions; in 2024 the UN estimated that 8 to 10 percent of emissions from the entire global agricultural and food system came from this source.
Bibliography
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"Solutions to Slash Food Waste and Loss." United Nations, 2024, www.un.org/en/observances/end-food-waste-day. Accessed 5 Aug. 2024.
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