Food waste is a strange reality. There is a global rising concern about the problem and countries are starting passing historical laws to stop food waste. This is about our economy in general, well being and general interest as well as protection of the environment.
Beside the dramatic effects this waste has on the economy, the absurdity is that one in six Americans faces hunger.
On the other hand, we are throwing away 133 billion pounds of food every year...
$161 billion dollars of edible food
$47 billion worth of food available for sale at grocery stores does not make it to consumer's shopping carts.
Food waste is the second largest solid waste in the US, over 30 million tons sent to the landfills each year. Large amounts of methane produced from food waste landfills are 21 times worse than carbon dioxide.
These numbers come from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Environment Protection Agency concerning edible food.
We still do literally nothing about this. For more than 30 years, the media, government agencies, some politicians and activists have been exposing the magnitude of the problem and have been trying to bring awareness to tackle the problem. There are many actions we can take on the food production process, and curb the destructive effects waste has on the economy, environment and society.
Food waste in the US is very similar to food waste in Europe. Despite the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act that protects grocery stores from liability when donating food, still 40 per cent of food is thrown away, supermarkets and restaurants are afraid of a law suit. Not a single law suit has ever happened to donators but the myth persists.
Food waste represents 40 per cent of food production; Europe, South America and Asia are taking action. In France a historical law passed in 2016 requiring that supermarkets donate their unsold edible food. When French Councilman Arash Derambarsh -who was called a dreamer- administered the campaign and started a petition, it only took four months to have the law adopted by the National assembly in May 2015. The Parliament voted unanimously on February 3rd 2016. Five years ago at the start of the Trump administration, I started myself a petition in the USA , but that was not the appropriate time with this administration.
It would be time to extend mobilization again for a similar legislation in America, and require supermarkets to give unsold food to associations and ban from throwing away unsold food.
On September 25th 2015, the United States have adopted a set of goals at United Nations Summit, and part of the engagement is to reduce by 50% food waste by 2030.
The strategy includes the fight against food waste and it has launched a public consultation to gather the views of citizens on this issue.
Comments