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The undeniable human, environmental, and economic impacts of food waste are catching up to us at a fast rate. However, not all hope is lost. Many organizations are working together to stop this.  For example, the Department of Agriculture and Environmental Protection Agency started The U.S  Food Waste Challenge in 2013 and The National Resources Defense Council wrote guidelines on how to reduce food waste in the food production chain. Organizations aren’t the only ones improving. A teenager named Maria Rose Belding came up with the idea of connecting the food pantries of 24 states. The network allows them to share food if it is not useful to them and give it to another pantry that does need it. You as an individual can also help. By changing cooking methods, improving shopping habits, storing food smartly, working with hunger relief organizations and donating leftover food, composting, and feeding food waste to animals we can solve this problem. It will only work if we all make an effort to improve.

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Economic and Political impacts of Food Waste

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Economic and Political impacts of Food Waste

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In the United States, $408 billion of food is wasted every year. Worldwide, the food industry is worth $9.43 trillion and is expected to grow 6% annually. Our homes make 31% of all food waste while commercial food waste makes up 61% of all food waste.  China and India are the worst offenders for food waste. This is the effect of their large populations as China has a population of 1.412 billion and India has a population of 1.408 billion. China wastes an estimated 92 million metric tons of food. India wastes 69 million metric tons. So, food waste has a major impact economically on us and these issues should be addressed.

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According to the World Wildlife Fund, 6 to 8% of greenhouse gas emissions is a result of food waste. This is because decomposing food in landfills produce methane, which is one of the strongest greenhouse gasses. Additionally, we waste an abundant amount of resources for food that will just end up in landfills, rotting away and contributing to climate change. In fact, because of the food wasted we waste enough water and energy to supply 50 millions homes, enough fertilizer to grow all plant-based foods in the U.S, farming land that is equivalent to California and New York combined, and gas emissions of 42 coal power plants. To summarize, food waste has a great impact on our environment and will cause many more problems if not addressed now.

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In a study conducted by the National Library of Medicine, 78% of participants living closer to a landfill showed symptoms of illness such as flu, eye irritation, weakness. Bad air quality was prevalent where they live. To make the matter even worse, 95% of food waste ends up in landfills. On average, citizens waste $640 worth of food every year. On average, 79% of people were most concerned about the wasted money. Globally, 1.3 billion tons of fruits, vegetables, meat, dairy, seafood, and grains go to waste per year. This is enough to feed every single starving person on the planet and is equivalent to one third of all food produced. To produce food in the U.S., farm workers must be provided with safe drinking water, toilets, and handwashing facilities when on the job. Additionally they must be paid the wages promised and cannot be paid below minimum wage. This gives you an idea of how much resources are needed just for the labor. In conclusion, Food waste has caused many issues world-wide and we need to find a solution quickly.

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Food waste has been an issue for a long time. In the 18th century, food became easier to obtain and cheaper due to the industrial revolution and mass production of food. During World War I, a lot of food and supplies were sent for soldiers but most of it was taken by German submarines. This caused food prices to double and food had to be rationed. Additionally, during the second world war women and children helped bring harvest by working on farms and farm camps. In 1948, fridges became more popularized. By 1970,  58% percent of households owned refrigerators. For companies, refrigeration made it a lot easier for food transportation and storage. By the 90s, food was seen as easily replaceable and disposable. The craving for fresh products caused food waste to increase drastically. In 2010 food waste made up 31% of the food supply for consumers and retailers. This is equal to 133 billion pounds and $162 billion dollars.