Transcript Food Waste in America

FOOD WASTE IN AMERICA
how we lose up to 40% of our food from farm to table
Photograph: http://www.campuskitchens.org/food-waste/
About 70 million tons of produce, worth $16 billion, is never
consumed every year.
How did this happen?
Before we answer that, let us first acknowledge:
•
the enormous complexity of this problem
•
the lack of comprehensive study and data
on this subject
and
•
two basic realities
First
food represents a small portion
of many Americans’ budget,
less than 10% a year
the convenience of throwing
away food outweighs the
financial costs of wasted food
Second
profit-maximizing is the goal of our food industry
more food wasted ⇢ more food sold ⇢ more profit made
Overcoming these challenges as well as other
drivers of food waste will require all hands on
deck, from the U.S. government to the food
industry to everyday consumers like you and me
But before solutions can be found, let us
understand how and why food is lost every step of
the way
from production to consumer
First Stop
Loss in Production, Unharvested Produce
Santucci Farm in Traverse City, Michigan, was forced to dump more than 40,000 of ripe tart cherries on the ground, in compliance with
the Cherry Industry Administrative Board’s cherry marketing order to maintain market price for the savory fruit. Photograph: Santucci
Farm
Why would farmers willingly let their crops rot in the
field?
cost of harvesting may be greater than potential profit due to:
•
overproduction to prevent damage caused by pests,
diseases, and weather
•
unpredictable fluctuations in market demand and market
price
food contamination scare and government regulation
shortage of labor
Green Bell peppers discarded and left to decay in the sun. These peppers are rejected as seen as not fit for market due to odd shape or
blemishes.
Photograph: Dan Tuffs/The Guardian
An estimated 7% of all planted fields are left unharvested
each year.
This varies widely, and can be upwards of 50% for a
particular crop or operation.
Second Stop
Loss in Post-Harvest Processing and Packaging
Acceptable strawberries on the top row; unacceptable specimens on the bottom two rows. Photograph: USDA
Primary Reason: Culling
•
culling is the removal of products based on quality or
appearance
•
•
including size, color, weight, blemish level, and sugar
content
up to 2/3 of market value is lost to the farmer when a product is
labeled USDA Grade-2
other causes: trimming and unavoidable factors as process
damage and technical malfunctions
A grader rejects a watermelon at Kirschenman Enterprises farm. Seen as unfit for market, discarded fruit is used
as cattle feed. Photograph: Dan Tuffs/Getty Images
Exact data on food loss at this stage is limited, but consider these
anecdotes:
• a large tomato-packing house reported that it can fill a dump truck
with 22,000 pounds of discarded tomatoes every 40 minutes.
• one plant engineer said, “the rule of thumb in processing potatoes is
that 50% goes out the back door as finished product”
Third Stop
Loss in Distribution
Borderlands Food Bank's warehouse in Nogales, Ariz., is located on Produce Drive, surrounded by produce distribution warehouses. Photograph: NPR
How do we lose food in distribution?
improper storage and handling,
especially true for perishable goods
rejected shipment
•
entire shipment can be
dumped if new buyer is not
found in time
•
reduced shelf-life even if a
new buyer is found
Fourth Stop
Loss in Retail
A trove of unopened hummus on one of film maker Grant Baldwin’s dumpster excursions. Photograph: Jen Rustmeyer
Why are supermarkets throwing away good food?
additional culling of produce that are not “good-looking” enough
removal of product close or pass “sell-by” date
•
this date is unregulated – food manufacturers’ suggestions
for peak freshness and taste, rather than indicator of food
safety or health concerns
removal of damaged goods, outdated promotional products, and
unpopular items
An employee of US grocery chain Fairway Market loads a BioHiTech Eco-Safe Digester that converts food waste into effluent. Photograph: Tim
Knox for the Guardian
In-store food losses in the United States totaled an estimated
43 billion pounds in 2008; 10% of supply at retail level.
USDA estimates that supermarkets lose $15 billion annually
in unsold fruits and vegetables alone.
Final Stop
Loss in Food Service and Households
Photograph: www.improntaunika.it
How is food wasted in restaurants?
kitchen loss of raw materials: 4~10%
food uneaten by diners: 17%
potential leftovers left behind: 55%
ever-increasing portion size: 2~8 times larger than USDA serving
size
time limit on cooked food before discarding
•
McDonald’s fries, 7 minutes; burger, 20 minutes
How is food wasted at home?
undervaluing of foods
confusion over label dates
spoilage
poor planning
impulse and bulk purchases
The National Restaurant Association says getting restaurants to focus on the food waste problem is a big challenge.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
American families throw out approximately a quarter of food and beverage
they buy, worth $1,365 to $2,275 annually.
USDA estimates that households and food service operations together lost
86 billion pounds of food in 2008, 19% of total U.S. retail-level supply.
Food Waste in the United States
40% of food grown in the US is never consumed
70 billion pounds wasted annually
rotting landfills are a significant source of methane
what can be done?
What Has Been Done?
food donation tax incentives
Food Waste Reduction Alliance
USDA Food Waste Challenge
targeting schools and educating
youth
Food Waste in Schools
What Has Been Done?
repurpose regular produce
farmer’s markets and CSAs
streamline food processing
bargain bins at markets
regulation of expiration dates
What Can You Do?
be mindful of what you buy
donate
repurpose
recycle
What Can You Do?
food is often discard based on
appearance on the farm and in
the market
companies collect and sell this
“imperfect produce” to
consumers
reduce the disposal of edible
food
What Can You Do?
store food properly to maximize
life
cook only what you need, re-use
the leftovers
plan meals and purchases ahead
of time
save money and the environment
Food Waste in Costa Rica
15-30% of food grown in Costa
Rica is never consumed
local governments are not
making an effort to curb food
waste
recycling and reducing waste is a
focus at many schools – donating
unused food to the needy
Reducing Food Waste
do your part
educate others
support more government
regulations
any questions?