Food Waste

About 1/3 of food in the world is wasted. Specifically, an average sized family in the U.S. discards about $2,000 worth of food each year. Not only are there hungry people who could be consuming this food, but this extraordinary amount of waste causes greenhouse gas emissions. These emissions are a result of fertilizer use, deforestation, landfills, electricity used to produce food, energy used to cook food, and transportation. To begin addressing this huge issue of food waste, I recommend making a meal plan for the week, so when you are at the grocery store, you only buy what you really need, rather than what you think you might need. 

Furthermore, did you know that supermarkets only present a select amount of the food they receive? Many supermarkets, hotels, cafeterias, and schools do not want to put out produce that is not in a standard shape. This food is ultimately wasted, when the nutrients are just as high as normal looking fruits or vegetables. Working against this supermarket waste issue, there are certain companies that rescue these perfectly nutritious foods and deliver them to your home. A perfect example is Misfits Market.

Lastly, large industrialized farms have been impacted recently due to the COVID-19 pandemic. When many institutions closed, several providers were forced to waste their food, especially perishable items like milk. This was because there was no way to distribute them. However, smaller, more local farms had a much easier time addressing the needs of surrounding communities due to their shorter supply chains. This means that in order to get to consumers, the food did not have to go through so many distribution centers. I recommend shopping at these local farms that can guarantee fresh produce at any time. 

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References

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About ⅓ of food… wasted

“Reduced Food Waste | Project Drawdown,” accessed July 30, 2020,

https://drawdown.org/solutions/reduced-food-waste. 

Specifically, an average sized… each year

“Food Waste: The World’s Dumbest Environmental Problem | Outrider,” accessed July 30,

2020, https://outrider.org/climate-change/articles/food-waste-worlds-dumbest-environmental-problem/.

Not only are there… gas emissions

“What’s Food Loss and Waste Got to Do with Climate Change? A Lot, Actually. | World

Resources Institute,” accessed July 30, 2020, https://www.wri.org/blog/2015/12/whats-food-loss-and-waste-got-do-climate-change-lot-actually.

These emissions are… transportation

Christopher Schlottmann and Jeff Sebo, Food, Animals, and the Environment: An

Ethical Approach (Abingdon, Oxon ; New York, NY: Routledge/Taylor & Francis Group, 2019), 76. 

Furthermore… normal looking fruits or vegetables

“Frequently Asked Questions – Misfits Market,” accessed July 30, 2020,

https://www.misfitsmarket.com/pages/faqs#1.

Lastly, large industrialized…centers 

“Covid-19 Forces Farms That Supply Institutions to Dump Produce | The Counter,” accessed

July 30, 2020, https://thecounter.org/covid-19-produce-dumping-food-banks/.