Five simple things to reduce food waste
The reports that an estimated one-third of the food produced worldwide for human consumption is wasted annually. In the United States, an estimated 40 percent of edible food is thrown away by retailers and households. In the United Kingdom, of food is wasted by households each year.
To make the world more food secure consumers need to make better use of the food that is produced by wasting less.
Today, presents five ways that consumers can help prevent food waste:
1.听Compost: In addition to contributing to food insecurity, food waste is harmful to the environment. Rotting food that ends up in landfills releases methane, a potent greenhouse gas, that is a major contributor to global climate change and can negatively affect crop yields. is a process that allows food waste to be converted into nutrient-rich organic fertilizer for gardening.
Compost in Action: In , the city contracts with, a local organic-recycling business, to take people鈥檚 waste and turn it into compost for local farmers. Similarly, a new in New York City allows patrons to donate food scraps to a composting company that gives the compost to local farmers.
2.听Donate to food banks: Donating food that you don鈥檛 plan to use is a great way to save food while helping to feed the needy in your community.
Food Banks in Action: In Atlanta, Georgia, the relies on food donations to supply 20 million pounds of food to the poor each year. In Tennessee, the works to reduce waste resulting from damaged cans by testing the cans to make sure that they don鈥檛 have holes in them that would allow food to spoil. For more on how you can donate food that would otherwise go to waste, visit , a national network of food banks.
3.听Better home storage: Food is often wasted because it isn鈥檛 stored properly, which allows it to mold, rot, or get freezer burn. By storing food properly consumers can reduce the amount of food they waste.
Better storage in Action: 听The is a great resource for consumers to learn a range of techniques to increase the shelf life of food. For example, they recommend vegetables 鈥� briefly boiling vegetables in water 鈥� and then freezing them. They also stress fruits and vegetables to protect them against bacteria.
4. Buy less food: People often buy more food than they need and allow the excess food to go to waste. Reducing food waste requires that consumers take responsibility for their food consumption. Instead of buying more food, consumers should buy food more responsibly.
Buying Less Food in Action: Making a shopping list and planning meals before shopping will help you buy the amount of food that is needed so that you don鈥檛 waste food. There are a number of services that help consumers shop responsibly 鈥� and help consumers make a weekly shopping list that fits the exact amount of food that they need to buy. Eating leftovers is another great way to reduce the amount of food that needs to be purchased. At , patrons can search for recipes based on leftover ingredients听that they have. Similarly, , offers cooking enthusiasts recipes for their leftovers.
5. Responsible grocery shopping: Consumers should make sure that they shop at places that practice responsible waste management. Many grocery stores are hesitant to donate leftovers to food banks because they are worried about possible liabilities if someone gets sick. But consumers can encourage grocery chains to reduce food waste by supporting local food banks in a responsible manner.
Responsible grocery shopping in Action: and grocery chains donate extra food to Feeding America. Additionally, started a perishable food recovery program that donates meat and dairy to food banks. The 听program, which partners with various national supermarkets, has also helped听food banks with fundraising in 37 states.
鈥� Graham Salinger is a research interns for the Nourishing the Planet project.
鈥� To read more about food waste, see: , , and .
鈥� To purchase "State of the World 2011: Innovations that Nourish the Planet" please click听. And to watch the one-minute book trailer, click听.
鈥� originally appeared at , a blog published by the .
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