Food Waste

FOOD WASTE is a major worldwide problem 1.3 of all edible food produced worldwide is wasted or lost billion n each year. That is 1/3 of the food produced annually. tons Much of that food is wasted by consumers. While much food is wasted during production in all regions, industrialized nations waste far more food in the homes of consumers. Per capita food loss and waste (kg/year) production 300 consumer 250 200 150 100 50 Europe North America Indust. Asia Sub- Sahara Africa N. Africa, S. & SE Latin America W. & C. Asia Africa Food is the largest category of waste reaching US landfills. In 2010, 34+ million tons of food waste were generated in the US. Only 3% was recycled, resulting in 33 million tons going to landfills & incinerators. or 2010 20.5% of the US manicipal waste stream 254 Ibs 2000 16.8% 1990 13.6% per person, per 1980 9.5% 5m 10m 15m 20m 25m 30m 35m year Tons Unrecovered Food Waste Why is this a problem? 25% of all fresh water consumed is used each year to produce food that is ultimately wasted, while 1.1 billion people in the world do not have access to safe drinking water. 25% is equal to approximately 600 cubic kilometers, or a bit more than the volume of Lake Erie. 1 billion people are malnourished even though the world produces enough food to feed twice the world's present population. 1 billion people is roughly 3.2x the population of the US. 24 million acres are deforested to grow food each year, despite the fact that worldwide food production produces more than enough food for all. This accounts for 74% of the total annual deforestation. 24 million acres is approximately the size of the entire state of Indiana. 300 million barrels of oil are used each year to produce food that is ultimately wasted. = 10m barrels What can you do about it? While you may not be able to reduce food lost during production, you can certainly reduce food waste at home. To reduce your personal level of food waste: Plan out meals and make shopping lists to determine what you actually need for the week. Buy in quantities you can realistically use. Avoid impulse buys. Don't throw out fruits and veggies with aesthetic-only blemishes. Use-by dates are for best quality, and are not "safety dates," according to the USDA. "Re-use" your leftovers by eating them for lunch the next day. If your food does go bad, compost it to avoid sending it to the landfill. I SOURCES: Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN | United Nations I Convention on Climate Change | US Environmental Protection Agency|| | United Nations Environment Programme | National Institute of Diabetes | and Digestive and Kidney Diseases door door organics