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Food Waste: The Hidden Cost of the Food We Throw Out

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Food Waste: The Hidden Cost of the Food We Throw Out

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

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Food Print

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America wastes roughly 40 percent of its food. Of the estimated 125 to 160 billion pounds of food that goes to waste every year, much of it is perfectly edible and nutritious. Food is lost or wasted for a variety of reasons: bad weather, processing problems, overproduction and unstable markets cause food loss long before it arrives in a grocery store, while overbuying, poor planning and confusion over labels and safety contribute to food waste at stores and in homes. Food waste also has a staggering price tag, costing this country approximately $218 billion per year. Uneaten food also puts unneeded strain on the environment by wasting valuable resources like water and farmland. At a time when 12 percent of American households are food insecure , reducing food waste by just 15 percent could provide enough sustenance to feed more than 25 million people, annually.

What Is Wasted Food?

There are two main kinds of wasted food: food loss and food waste. Food loss is the bigger category, and incorporates any edible food that goes uneaten at any stage. In addition to food that's uneaten in homes and stores, this includes crops left in the field, food that spoils in transportation, and all other food that doesn't make it to a store. Some amount of food is lost at nearly every stage of food production. Food waste is a specific piece of food loss, which the US Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Economic Research Service (ERS), defines as "food discarded by retailers due to color or appearance and plate waste by consumers." Food waste includes the half-eaten meal left on the plate at a restaurant, food scraps from preparing a meal at home and the sour milk a family pours down the drain.

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. Some of this is recovered and used for other purposes - in the US, about 33 percent of food waste from manufacturing goes to animal feed. Even with this recovered and reused material taken out of the calculation, about two billion pounds of food are wasted in the food processing or manufacturing stage. A number of issues, like overproduction, product damage and technical problems at manufacturing facilities contribute to these large quantities of food waste. Much like farms, food processing facilities are vulnerable to labor disruptions and shortages. During the COVID-19 outbreak, many meat processing facilities closed as workers fell ill, which forced processing plants to close. This meant that the animals, which could no longer be processed, were slaughtered and discarded by the thousand.

Food Loss in Transportation and Distribution Networks

During food transportation and distribution, perishable foods are vulnerable to loss, especially in developing nations where access to adequate and reliable refrigeration, infrastructure and transportation can be a challenge. While this is not a significant source of food waste in the US; food waste does occur when produce spoils from improper refrigeration. A larger problem occurring at this stage is the rejection of perishable food shipments, which are thrown out if another buyer can't be found quickly. It is estimated that between two and five percent of food shipments are rejected by food buyers. Even if these goods make it to market, they are often wasted anyway because of shorter shelf lives. Often, rejected food shipments are donated to food rescue organizations, but the quantities are too large to accept.

Where is Food Wasted?

Food Waste in Retail Businesses

An estimated 43 billion pounds of food were wasted in US retail stores in 2010. This is particularly disconcerting given that in 2016, 12.3 percent of American households were food insecure. Most of the loss in retail operations is in perishables, including baked goods, produce, meat, seafood and prepared meals. The USDA estimates that supermarkets lose $15 billion annually in unsold fruit and vegetables alone. Unfortunately, wasteful practices in the retail industry are often viewed as good business strategies. Some of the main drivers for food loss at retail stores include: overstocked product displays, expectation of cosmetic perfection of fruits, vegetables and other foods, oversized packages, the availability of prepared food until closing, expired "sell by" dates, damaged goods, outdated seasonal items, over purchasing of unpopular foods and under staffing.

Currently, only 10 percent of edible wasted food is recovered each year, in the US. Barriers to recovering food are liability concerns, distribution and storage logistics and funds needed for gleaning, collecting, packaging and distribution. The Good Samaritan Food Donation Act, signed into law in 1996, provides legal liability protection for food donors and recipients and tax benefits for participating businesses. However, awareness about this law and trust in the protections it offers remains low.
Photo on previous page by Pixavril/Adobe Stock.

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Learn more about our massive food waste problem, from fields and fishing boats to grocery stories and household kitchens.

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UN Environment Program

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The production and consumption of sufficient, affordable and nutritious food, while conserving the natural resources and ecosystems on which food systems depend, is vital. Food systems play a central role in all societies and are fundamental to ensuring sustainable development. Sustainable food systems are critical to resolving issues of food security, poverty alleviation and adequate nutrition, and they play an important role in building resilience in communities responding to a rapidly changing global environment.

However, our food systems are under increasing pressure to respond to numerous and complex challenges. These include:

Increasing demands - for greater quantity, quality and diversity of food -the world population is predicted to grow from 7.2 billion in 2010 to over 9 billion in 2050 with corresponding food demand predicted to increase by 60 per cent.

Food loss and waste - roughly 30 per cent of the food produced worldwide is lost or wasted every year.

Chronic hunger worldwide - 12.9 per cent of the population in developing regions suffer from hunger

Obesity related health conditions - globally over 30 per cent of adults are estimated to be overweight or obese.

Food price impacts on food security and wellbeing - in poorer areas people spend 50-80 per cent of their income on food and are highly exposed to price volatility.

Climate change - food systems rely on natural resources, which are extremely vulnerable to rapidly changing climatic conditions.

Wide-scale ecosystem change - food production itself has caused wide-scale changes in ecosystems, being responsible for 70 per cent of water withdrawals and a significant driver of deforestation and loss of biodiversity. It is also heavily dependent on these natural resources.

What is a sustainable food system?
'A sustainable food system (SFS) is a food system that delivers food security and nutrition for all in such a way that the economic, social and environmental bases to generate food security and nutrition for (current and) future generations are not compromised.'

'A food system gathers all the elements (environment, people, inputs, processes, infrastructures, institutions, etc.) and activities that relate to the production, processing, distribution, preparation and consumption of food, and the outputs of these activities, including socio-economic and environmental outcomes.'
UNEP Sustainable Food Systems Programme
Moving towards more sustainable food systems is critical. Urgent attention is required to address existing challenges, as well as new and evolving demands on our food systems. UNEP is committed to accelerating action through its Sustainable Food Systems programme of activities which aim to raise awareness as well as catalyse action at local, regional and international level.

We are doing this through 4 main focus areas:

National Round-Tables on Sustainable Food Systems

Climate Change, Urbanisation and Food Systems

Sustainable Food System Thinking (interconnected policy making on food and agriculture)

Watch this short and fact-filled movie that explains why action is needed now to ensure urban populations can access sufficient, sustainably produced, affordable, safe and nutritious food in a changing climate. You can also watch it in French here.

We are always looking for good opportunities to collaborate and partner with interested stakeholders to help accelerate the shift to more sustainable food systems.

Our main focus in this area is through the 10YFP Sustainable Food Systems Programme in which UNEP with FAO has played an instrumental role in it is development. UNEP and FAO now serve in the Multi-Stakeholder Advisory Committee (MAC).

For more information and background go to the website at 10YFP Sustainable Food Systems Programme

Contacts
James Lomax
Programme Officer (food systems and agriculture)
James.lomax@unep.org
See also

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Sustainable Food Systems The production and consumption of sufficient, affordable and nutritious food, while conserving the natural resources and ecosystems on which food systems depend, is vital. Food systems play a central role in all societies and are fundamental to ensuring sustainable development.

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World Wildlife Fund | 2011

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Impact of Sustainable Agriculture and Farming Practices

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Sustainable agricultural operations and farming practices yield positive impacts on the environment, animals, and people. Here’s how.

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Eat Right | 2019

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Sustainable eating is about choosing foods that are healthful to the environment and your body.

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See the Food challenge in the Earth Day Ecochallenge Event

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We currently produce more than enough food to feed every human on Earth, but that food isn't distributed fairly or efficiently, leaving some people with too much and some people with too little. The way we currently produce and distribute food is not only wasteful; it threatens ecosystems, pollinators, wildlife, freshwater, and human health, and contributes significantly to climate change.

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Eat less meat and help reduce climate change!

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Eat less meat and help reduce climate change!

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Eat Less Meat | 2017

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Eat less meat and help reduce climate change!

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The 11-year-old With His Own Vegan Cooking Business

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The 11-year-old With His Own Vegan Cooking Business

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This Morning | 2020

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The 11-year-old With His Own Vegan Cooking Business | This Morning

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Omnivores Dilemma for Kids: The Secrets Behind What You Eat

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Omnivores Dilemma for Kids: The Secrets Behind What You Eat

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Michael Pollan | 2009
Amazon

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Annette Bay Pimentel | 2016
Amazon

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Kids Go Green: Reducing Food Waste | PBS LearningMedia

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Learn about the impact of food waste on the environment in this video animation from WNET. In this clip, students discover ways to reduce food waste. Refer to the accompanying discussion questions and teaching tips for ideas on using this video to help students consider ways to conserve food.

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"Ugly" Food and Food Waste | Cyberchase | PBS LearningMedia

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Jackie wants to make her perfect pumpkin pie for Giving Thanks Day, but all the "perfect" pumpkins are gone! All that's left on the farm are dented pumpkins and lots of "ugly" produce that no one wanted to buy.