The Problem of Food Waste
The NRDC estimates that up to 40% of the food produced in America goes uneaten. In this country alone, food loss costs billions of dollars annually. Yet 1 in 8 Americans struggle to put food on the table. There is a huge disconnect here, while millions of tons of edible food is finding it’s way into landfills while our food insecure populations continue to grow. Therefore, if we are not part of the solution, we are contributing to the problem.
134,000 Homeless in California as of 2017
20% of North American produce is thrown away annually
20% used by farmers annually is thrown away
1 in 8 Californians are food insecure
Costs Associated with Food Waste:
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Environmental
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Economic
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Social
Globally over 1.6 billion tons of food, worth 1.2 trillion dollars, are lost or wasted annually.
The land, water, labor, energy and other inputs used in producing, processing, transporting, preparing, storing and disposing of food that is ultimately discarded, has huge economic costs.
Food waste is the single largest component of organic waste going into municipal landfills. This wasted food quickly generates methane, helping to make landfills the third largest methane source in the US.
Organic waste accounts for 8% of global green house emissions, according to the UN’s Food and Ag Institution and the World Resources Institute. Additionally, these inputs generate impacts on the environment that may endanger the long term health of our planet.
These resources are pulled away from uses that may be more beneficial to society. Wholesome food that could have helped feed families in need is sent to landfills. It is difficult to imagine solving the hunger problem-some 870 million people around the world are undernourished, when so much of the global food supply is lost.