Across the globe roughly one third, or 1.3 billion tons of food are wasted annually. Wasting food on such a large scale has massive human and social costs. Similarly, the environmental, and specifically climate, impacts of food waste are sizeable and unsettling.
Food production is resource intensive, requiring significant amounts of energy, land, and water. Activities like clearing land for agriculture, and food production, processing, transporting and preservation emit greenhouse gases, contributing to climate change. As energy is required every step along the way, food that is lost closest to the dinner table has the greatest environmental impact.
Once disposed, food breaks down in landfills, giving off the potent greenhouse gas, methane. Food provision alone contributes 13% of US total emissions.
The causes of food waste are varied, occurring at different points in the chain. Unpicked crops rot in the fields, edible produce fails to meet aesthetic standards, food is lost in transport, and, finally, food perishes in our own refrigerators. As a result, food waste contributes 3.3 billion metric tons of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere.
Yet, food waste remedies are well within reach. Responsible practices by suppliers, retailers, and consumers can alter food waste patterns with positive effect. Improved storage procedures, responsible meal planning, understanding “sell by/ best by” labels, and a general decoupling of aesthetics and quality could go a long way toward reducing food waste.
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