How much food is wasted in America?

Jul 20, 2015

John Oliver tackles food waste

During the latest episode of Last Week Tonight, host and comedian John Oliver tackles the issue of food waste in America.

“This is not a story about the food we eat, it’s a story about the food we don’t eat because there is a surprising amount of it,” Oliver said before showing a clip that said the Natural Resources Defense Council estimates as much as 40% of food produced in the United States gets thrown away.

Another clip said that $165 billion worth of food ends up in America’s garbage and landfills; or an average of 20 pounds of food per person, per month.

“We got a whole load of pretty much of loose organic lettuce,” said Cesar Zuniga, Operations Manager of the Salinas Valley Solid Waste Authority in another clip showed by Oliver. “We’ve got spinach towards the back. Looks like it’s perfectly fine.”

“Watching all that food go from farm to not a table is awful for a bunch of reasons,” Oliver said before showing statistics from the USDA that show that in 2013, more than 40 million people lived in food-insecure households.

When speaking about peaches, Oliver discussed the USDA’s grading standards and how it contributes to food waste (the grading can be seen at 8:30 into the video).

“As soon as it is labeled a No. 2 (peach) it can lose two thirds of its market value to a farmer,” Oliver said.

Oliver also mentions “Best Before” and “Use By” labels, and American lawmakers as reasons contributing to the food waste.

Join the conversation and tell us your thoughts about the amount of food estimated to be wasted by America each year.

Please be advised that the video contains coarse language.

Video: Early Fall Colors | Scenic Ontario Road Trip!

All adventures must come to an end, but not without one more journey! Join The Wandering Shepherds as we say farewell to our cozy Calabogie cottage and take the scenic road trip home to Ewetopia Farms. Our first stop was a breathtaking hydroelectric generating station, framed by cliffs, rushing water, and brilliant fall leaves that seemed to have changed overnight. From there, we meandered along winding backroads through lakes and hills, soaking in the spectacular autumn scenery. This year, the colors seemed to arrive earlier than usual—perhaps due to the summer’s drought? Whatever the reason, it was an unforgettable display of Ontario’s fall beauty. Finally, our holiday drew to a close as we pulled back into Ewetopia Farms, ready to return to the sheep and our daily vlogs. But this trip reminded us how important it is to pause, explore, and appreciate the simple beauty around us.