This flow chart from the FAO study cited earlier depicts some of the social and environmental costs of food waste along the entire food supply chain from production to consumption. A round-up of the week’s key events in the waste & recycling industry. Recycling On the Go: Additional Cost or Economic Necessity? Approximately two-thirds … In wealthy, developed nations like the U.S., food is wasted mostly at the consumption stage. ( Log Out /  John Williamson of bin manufacturer Amberol explains some of the issues involved in the introduction of recycling on the go. With my sign up I agree to the Privacy Policy. The UAE is well-placed to take the lead on this issue. Examining these costs of food waste more clearly, we can see that many come from resource loss and other environmental impacts of agriculture. It ensures waste hierarchy compliance, saves money and reduces the environmental damage that would otherwise be caused if the food was incinerated or landfilled and left to biodegrade. W ithin the FAO’s definitional framework, f ood waste is delimited by two other notions: food loss, food waste and food wastage. Furthermore, creating a high energy feed from products unsuitable for human consumption can boost the future quality of livestock products that people eat. Gustavo Porpino, lead author of a study entitled the Food Wastage Paradox, speaks to AZoCleantech about how much food is wasted each year around the world and the drastic effects that this can have on global climate change. Yet it is not just factories that face such problems. Lacking technology and infrastructure for transportation and processing means increased losses to pests, spoilage, and weather. But it is not just households that have a problem to tackle, explains Paul Featherstone, group director of SugaRich. Therefore, we often do not appreciate the true value of food and buy more than we need without much thought. Food loss refers to a decrease in mass (dry matter) or nutritional value (quality) of food that was originally intended for human consumption. NGOs have also helped to reduce food waste in developed countries like the U.S. This estimate, based on estimates from USDA’s Economic Research Service of 31 percent food loss at the retail and consumer levels, corresponded to approximately 133 billion pounds and $161 billion worth of food in 2010. Methods to improve shelf life such as pasteurization and refrigeration are almost always absent in places where food is produced mainly by rural smallholders. Add to this the buying tendencies of discerning customers who prefer unblemished fruit and vegetables, and often restrictive ‘display until’ dates, and the reasons for surplus food are clear to see. But in his new book, Big Hunger: The Unholy Alliance Between Corporate America and Anti-Hunger Groups, food security expert Andrew Fisher argues that it’s time to take a deeper look at what the anti-hunger movement is really achieving in the U.S. According to the United Nations Development Programme, up to 40% of the food produced in India is wasted. One such study by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimated that these direct and indirect costs (from impacts such as agricultural greenhouse gas emissions and erosion) added up to $2.6 trillion worldwide and annually. In fact, according to a Guardian report released this week, roughly 50 percent of all produce in the United States is … Food loss and waste represents economic losses for all actors along food supply chains, including end consumers. In highly developed countries, advanced technology in agriculture as well as food processing and distribution means that food is plentiful and cheap. For the uninitiated, excess amounts of greenhouse gases such as methane, CO2 and chloroflurocarbons absorb infrared radiation and heat up the earth’s atmosphere, causing global warming and climate change. This will lead to economic benefits, increased food security and reduced environmental impacts. About one-third occurs at the consumer level, where we buy too much and throw it away. Fresh food spoilage is a USD 1 trillion problem. Consumers are the greatest contributors to the food waste problem in developed countries, so we are necessarily a huge part of its solution. labour, water, energy and land) as well as avoidable climate change and social impacts. But it is true. The chart shows very clearly that food waste which occurs “on-farm” and during “transport and processing” is the largest contributor in developing countries, whereas in developed countries “home and municipal” food waste dominates. Food waste is really, really bad for the environment. Land degradation is also an important factor of food wastage. Along with the sunk costs of purchasing said food, wasting it creates additional problems. ( Log Out /  One innovative company called Leanpath produces technology to help retailers monitor their waste, which causes stores to realize the financial cost of wasting food and subsequently leads to decreases in food waste. Delivery times and transit conditions may mean some groceries for example have a limited shelf life, by the time they even reach a store. The average family is responsible for about 1,800 pounds of emissions from food waste, while an individual contributes about 440 pounds a year, … ( Log Out /  | Eat for the Earth, 2020 Update: Joe Hollis of Mountain Gardens, 2020 Updates: Devon G. Peña and The Acequia Institute, Interview with Mark Kimball of Essex Farm (Part Two of Two), Interview with Mark Kimball of Essex Farm (Part One of Two), Food Waste: Causes, Effects, and Solutions, Hallie Muller on Farming and the Food System. When the problem is that many people don’t have enough food, we can try to grow more food and achieve yield increases of a few percent per year or we can distribute more effectively the nearly 40% of food that is currently being thrown away. Stores over-stock their shelves accordingly and then end up throwing out unbought foods. Food manufacturers, retailers and food outlets also find themselves with a surplus food problem. Still, food wastage is an alarming issue in India. Additionally, food makes up the majority of waste in landfills, where its decomposition releases methane, a potent greenhouse gas and major contributor to climate change. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. For example food wasted during the “transport and processing” step of the food supply chain is shown in red. Since much of the world’s resources are used to produce food (40% of its land, 70% of its freshwater, and 30% of its energy), every piece of food that is thrown away represents wasted resources: “huge amounts of unnecessary chemicals, energy, and land” (National Resources Defense Council). Recycling On the Go: Additional Cost or Economic Necessity? However, gaps in the data show how hard it remains to fully understand the problem. The causes of food waste or loss are numerous and occur throughout the food system, during production, processing, distribution, retail and consumption. In the United States, food waste is estimated at between 30-40 percent of the food supply. The study – Household Food and Drink Waste in the UK 2012 – has brought the continuing challenge of food waste minimisation to the fore. Food wastage comes in two forms. Americans spend less of our income on food than most other countries in the world (6% compared to 43% in Egypt). This blog and website continue the work of that book. If even a quarter of the food currently lost or wasted globally could be saved, it would be enough to feed 870 million hungry people. Weddings, canteens, hotels, social and family functions, households spew out so much food. Food waste or food loss is food that is not eaten. The reasons for this residual food are numerous, and sometimes cannot be avoided. For example, a recent article in National Geographic explained that “after the FAO gave 18,000 small metal silos to farmers in Afghanistan, loss of cereal grains and grain legumes dropped from 15 to 20 percent to less than 2 percent.” This advancement no doubt improved local livelihoods and contributed to a more secure, steady food supply. The biggest stories of the month from the recycling sector. According to ReFed, American consumers, businesses, and farms spend $218 billion, or 1.3% of our gross domestic product, growing, processing, and disposing of food that is never eaten. Top coverage of refuse collection vehicles, plant equipment and industry news. Paul Featherstone is group director of SugaRich. we can save money and reduce our climate impact by planning meals and only buying food we know we are going to eat These environmental costs also lead to direct and indirect social costs in the form of food insecurity, health costs from pollution and pesticide exposure, reduced farmer incomes, lost livelihoods, and increased likelihood for conflict and crime because of all the above factors (FAO). Unfortunately, there is much less information about food waste in poor nations than in wealthy countries possibly because it is more difficult to gather information about the former. USDA standards mean that any produce with a blemish or irregularity does not make it into the food supply so farmers are forced to leave unsightly produce to rot in the field. ( Log Out /  I would like to subscribe to the following newsletters, Recycling Food Waste into Animal Feed within the UK’s Legislative Framework. Simply appreciating all the work and energy that goes into food helps to value it and pay more attention to purchases and habits. We are starting to recognize the significance of food waste and the social, economic, and environmental costs associated with it. In the 2009 study cited above, it was estimated that about 25% of America’s water is used to produce food that is wasted. Additionally, food makes up the majority of waste in landfills, where its decomposition releases methane, a potent greenhouse gas and major contributor to climate change. Post-harvest and processing is where 40% of food wastage occurs in developing countries. Gulp. Recycling Food Waste into Animal Feed within the UK’s Legislative Framework Paul Featherstone, group director of SugaRich, looks at legislation and logistics to reduce the waste of former foodstuffs and instead turning them into valuable resources. It ensures waste hierarchy compliance, saves money and reduces the environmental damage that would otherwise be caused if the food was incinerated or landfilled and left to biodegrade. Fruits and vegetables make up the majority of this on-farm food waste, which is a significant contributor to food waste in developed countries. It also represents a highly inefficient use of resources (e.g. Foodborne diseases may lead to long-lasting disability and death. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! With millions of people all over the world struggling to find enough food to eat, the fact that millions of tons of food is tossed out every year can be surprising. But this is only what stores actually put in the bin themselves and does not take into account the influence they have on waste in other parts of the supply chain. Combating food waste is an essential part of meeting the food demands of a growing population: just a 15% reduction in food waste in the U.S. could feed 25 million Americans, according to the same 2009 study cited earlier. It is extremely encouraging that this second option is already being explored and that so many viable solutions to this huge problem have been proposed and implemented. Most of the food wastage at the agricultural production stage is in regions there is land degradation or where the soil is already in poor shape, thus adding undue pressure on the land. Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), ← Hallie Muller on Farming and the Food System, Interview with Mark Kimball of Essex Farm (Part One of Two) →, Food Waste and Happy Thanksgiving! Food wastage is a huge issue, not only in Australia but across the world. Food can become lost through spillages, it can become spoiled during transit and it can become damaged by insect infestation. Make sure your menu isn’t a novel. As a result, the methane gas generated from the waste is 20 to 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide. In poorer, developing countries, food wastage is more concentrated toward the production side. Food waste is something that occurs at every stage of the process ranging from the moment it is grown to the moment it reaches the consumer. The above chart from a 2010 report on food security compares the sources of food waste in developing countries to those in developed countries such as the U.S. and the U.K. Each bar represents the total food waste in a given country, which is divided by color into different categories of food waste. When food is manufactured for instance, there are inevitable by-products and a proportion of the finished item cannot be placed on the market for human consumption. This increased discussion may have been instigated in part by a landmark 2009 study, which estimated that America throws away almost 40% of its food. Our street and garbage bins, landfills have sufficient proof to prove it. Wasting food is a waste of money. Since then, several reports and studies have sought to uncover this shocking statistic, explore the nature of food waste, and quantify the economic, social, environmental costs of wasted food. A third of the world’s food is wasted, which is simply unacceptable. A report published by WRAP this month, highlighted that food wastefulness in UK homes is costing the country a staggering £12.5 billion a year. Increased public awareness can help begin to shift strongly ingrained habits and mindsets surrounding the value and consumption of food. Food waste is a huge problem in developed countries and it is a serious economic and environmental issue. Businesses are taking $74 billion loss on food waste every year. These efforts have taken many forms, for example charities that glean unharvested food from farm fields or redistribute unsold food from grocery stores to food shelters. Food Loss in Manufacturing Facilities Most waste at manufacturing and processing facilities is generated while trimming off edible portions, such as skin, fat, crusts and peels from food. NTUC FairPrice takes the lead to measure and reduce food waste. Packaging materials can even be extracted for recycling. Apart from the wastage of the food produced, the resources lost in the form of inputs during food production are also considerable. To come up with the best food waste solutions, it is important to form a picture of food waste in Australia as well as in other countries such as the United States and United Kingdom. Waste prevention is being progressively communicated. "Farm Together Now: A portrait of people, places and ideas for a new food movement" was a book published by Chronicle Books in late 2010 featuring interviews and photo essays about 20 farms across the United States. Many are also affected by food waste and loss. NTUC FairPrice is taking the first steps to measure and reduce food waste in its supermarkets. Tristram Stuart’s idea to remove the ban on feeding food waste to pigs in the European Union would help to cycle the wastes of our food system right back into food production. This fall, activist Rob Greenfield rode across the country on his bike and ate only food he found in dumpsters, along the way hosting “Food Waste Fiascos” in which volunteers rescued food from grocery store dumpsters and then gave it away to anyone who needed it. Food wastage is back on the table with the publication of the UN's first global index on the issue. Wasted food affects the environment but also our livelihoods and health. Furthermore, creating a high energy feed from products unsuitable for human consumption can boost the future quality of livestock products that people eat. Also, as the importance of the circular economy becomes increasingly acknowledged in the UK, these organisations are saying no to disposal, and are looking for a solution that harnesses the value of residual food, so that it doesn’t become a waste. Globally, more than 870 million people are chronically undernourished yet 1.3 billion tonnesof perfectly edible food is wasted each year. 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