U.S. $165 Billion Dollar Food Waste Dilemma

Aug 22, 2012

Food Waste Causing Harm to Nation`s Water Supply

The numbers are shocking - 40 per cent of the food in the U.S, or approximately $165 billion dollars’ worth of food waste is generated every year. This is alarming to advocacy groups like Natural Resources Defense Council who released the report earlier this week. The Council says that the food waste is damaging the nation`s water supply.

"Food is simply too good to waste," the report says. "Given all the resources demanded for food production, it is critical to make sure that the least amount possible is needlessly squandered on its journey to our plates."

While there is evidence of waste from all different segments in the food chain, the majority of the waste is coming from the home. The majority of that waste can be accounted for through bulk purchases, resulting in buying more feed than they can eat. Looking to restaurant waste, businesses stock more food than they can serve and their portion sizes are often too large for people to finish - all resulting in food waste.

The waste can even sometimes stem right down to the primary producer level, the report suggests that upwards of 7 per cent of planted fields are not harvested each year. Often farmers can`t get a high enough price for their crop to justify the input costs of taking off the harvest.

The Natural Resources Defense Council is an environmental activist group that seeks to address global warming and protect the environment through raising awareness of environmental destruction.

Video: How Can We Grow More Food With Less Impact?

For over two decades, Dr. Mitloehner has been at the forefront of research on how animal agriculture affects our air and our climate. With deep expertise in emissions and volatile organic compounds, his work initially focused on air quality in regions like California’s Central Valley—home to both the nation’s richest agricultural output and some of its poorest air quality.

In recent years, methane has taken center stage in climate discourse—not just scientifically, but politically. Once a topic reserved for technical discussions about manure management and feed efficiency, it has become a flashpoint in debates over sustainability, regulation, and even the legitimacy of livestock farming itself.

Dr. Frank Mitloehner, Professor and Air Quality Specialist with the CLEAR Center sits down with Associate Director for Communications at the CLEAR Center, Joe Proudman.