Food Waste: The Hidden Cost of the Food We Throw Out I ClimateScience #9

Worldwide, 30% of food is lost or wasted - This

averages out to 614 kcal per person every
single day, about the same as 10 medium eggs

or 21 large carrots! But wait! What does this
have to do with climate change?

When food is lost or wasted, all of the resources
that went into making it are wasted too.

Globally this accounts for 1.4 billion hectares
of wasted land and 250 km3 of wasted water

every year.

That’s a land area larger than Canada and
India put together and enough water to fill

up 100 million Olympic sized swimming pools!

What’s more, food loss and waste are responsible
for 8-10% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

These emissions not only come from the production
and transportation of the wasted food, but

they also come directly from the rotting food
itself when it is broken down by microorganisms.

Despite all this waste, in 2019 nearly 1 in
10 people around the world were exposed to

severe food insecurity. Reducing food loss
and waste by just 50% would provide enough

food to feed all these people and then some!

Although food losses occur at all stages of
the food supply chain, their main cause varies

between countries.

In wealthier countries, more than 40% of food
loss and waste occur at the retail and consumer

stage, largely due to consumer behaviour and
food supply exceeding demand.

Food losses in lower-income countries mostly
occur earlier in the supply chain, due to

poor harvesting techniques, insufficient storage 

and cooling facilities, and 
a lack of infrastructure

for food transport and marketing.

So what can we do to reduce all of this food  

loss and
waste?

Well, let’s begin at the start of the supply
chain: we need to reduce food losses on the

farm itself. Sub-optimal conditions, such
as not enough water and too much heat,  

significantly

reduce the growth potential of food crops
and 20-40% of crops globally are lost to insect

pests, weeds, and diseases.

Global soil quality is also degrading, making
it harder for plants to access the nutrients

they need to grow and forcing farmers to rely
on artificial fertilizers.

By improving soil quality and exploiting natural
interactions between plants, animals, and

their environment, farmers can improve crop
yields while reducing waste and resource use.

Providing farmers with effective harvesting
technologies will also be important as food

is often lost to damage or spillage during
the harvesting process.

One of the biggest causes of food loss in
lower-income countries is storage: if food

is left somewhere that is too hot or too damp
it can easily spoil or rot. Improving storage

facilities and transport infrastructure can
therefore significantly reduce losses: if

lower-income countries had the same access
to refrigeration as richer nations, food losses

could be reduced by 25%!

To solve this problem, we need to develop 

low-cost, off-grid solutions 
for food preservation,

such as mobile solar-powered storage.

Food processing and more durable packaging
can also prevent food spoilage during storage,

transport, and at the consumer stage, although
we would need to consider the sustainability

of the packaging that is used.

Even so, innovation can only get us so far.
Retailer and consumer behaviours will also

need to change.

For example, supermarkets set very high standards
for what food should look like, meaning that

imperfect food is often discarded even if
it is perfectly edible. Embracing these “ugly”

foods at both the retail and consumer levels
will significantly reduce how much gets thrown

away.

Restaurants, retailers, and caterers can also
reduce their waste by selling food in more

appropriate portions and by donating uneaten
goods to those who are unable to afford them.

But what can we do as individuals?

Well, we can start by planning ahead and only
buying what we need. We can cook with leftovers

and use our freezers to keep food fresh for
longer. As well as encouraging less wasteful

practices, we also need to be more aware of
how to store food properly and how to tell

if food is still safe beyond its expiration
date.

As the world gets richer, consumer-level food
waste is likely to become more and more of

a problem. Therefore, it is vital that people
are aware of the impacts of food waste and

what they can do to make a difference.

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