Meals That Almost Were
The vast majority of the modern population can afford the luxury of an adequate daily food supply and, therefore, take it for granted. Millions of pounds of food end up in our landfills on the journey from farm to their final destination. The pounds of food in landfills that goes to waste also contributes partially to the production of greenhouse gasses. Some food is wasted for the sole reason that it does not meet the supermarket’s appearance requirements for food to look a certain way and be of a certain size. Farmers and businesses, selling and buying food, should establish a diverse system to gain more control for a healthier environment and better widespread economic wealth.
Avoidable food waste is characterized …show more content…
Food waste represents more than just the loss of money, “The lost nutritional value of post-harvest waste in the U.S. represents an estimated 1,249 calories per capita per day, with the greatest amount by weight coming from fruits and vegetables” (Neff 2). The food lost during post-harvest could have other practical uses, such as feeding the impoverished or being disposed of in a more environmentally friendly process. Food waste in developing countries tends to be less of an issue, as they focus on saving more to provide for their increased need. The main argument against food waste argues, “Economically they represent a wasted investment that can reduce farmers’ incomes and increase consumer costs” (Vaque 20). All of the food wasted also represents money lost, causing a shift in the food market, which does not benefit anyone. Supermarkets often reject perfectly edible food from farms if they do not meet their certain qualifications. Supermarkets are often forced to throw away food that they do not sell, but it is possible to create other options: “a focus on economic solutions for supermarket food waste can create fully sustainable options for the supermarket industry” (O’Donnell et al. 35). Options do exist for supermarkets to conserve more and gain a wider understanding of the environmental effects that they have. The impact of wasting food …show more content…
Widespread information regarding the topic of food waste does not exist due to the United States’ status as a well developed country: “In the past year, 42% indicated they had seen or heard information about wasted food and 16% had sought information about reducing it” (Neff 4). If Americans were to become more educated on the subject of food waste, and the extent of the impact that it has, receiving aid and support to find a solution would become a much simpler task. Proposed solutions to dealing with food waste includes giving benefits to businesses who do put in work to reduce their portion of salvageable waste: “Business taxpayers that make inventory donations to charities can receive an income tax deduction” (Hatz 3). A tax deduction could help to motivate businesses since they would gain something out of helping reduce their food waste. Creating other perks for businesses, or individuals, when donating to charities could lead others to follow. Unique solutions are applied to diverse situations, such as turning the food scraps into fuel. An article discussing how this is done states, “anaerobic digestion has been drawing attention as a method that can not only accomplish greenhouse gas reduction but also use the food waste as an energy source” (Dahl 181). Methods such as these promote reduction of waste, while also cutting harmful gas emission. Food
The vast majority of the modern population can afford the luxury of an adequate daily food supply and, therefore, take it for granted. Millions of pounds of food end up in our landfills on the journey from farm to their final destination. The pounds of food in landfills that goes to waste also contributes partially to the production of greenhouse gasses. Some food is wasted for the sole reason that it does not meet the supermarket’s appearance requirements for food to look a certain way and be of a certain size. Farmers and businesses, selling and buying food, should establish a diverse system to gain more control for a healthier environment and better widespread economic wealth.
Avoidable food waste is characterized …show more content…
Food waste represents more than just the loss of money, “The lost nutritional value of post-harvest waste in the U.S. represents an estimated 1,249 calories per capita per day, with the greatest amount by weight coming from fruits and vegetables” (Neff 2). The food lost during post-harvest could have other practical uses, such as feeding the impoverished or being disposed of in a more environmentally friendly process. Food waste in developing countries tends to be less of an issue, as they focus on saving more to provide for their increased need. The main argument against food waste argues, “Economically they represent a wasted investment that can reduce farmers’ incomes and increase consumer costs” (Vaque 20). All of the food wasted also represents money lost, causing a shift in the food market, which does not benefit anyone. Supermarkets often reject perfectly edible food from farms if they do not meet their certain qualifications. Supermarkets are often forced to throw away food that they do not sell, but it is possible to create other options: “a focus on economic solutions for supermarket food waste can create fully sustainable options for the supermarket industry” (O’Donnell et al. 35). Options do exist for supermarkets to conserve more and gain a wider understanding of the environmental effects that they have. The impact of wasting food …show more content…
Widespread information regarding the topic of food waste does not exist due to the United States’ status as a well developed country: “In the past year, 42% indicated they had seen or heard information about wasted food and 16% had sought information about reducing it” (Neff 4). If Americans were to become more educated on the subject of food waste, and the extent of the impact that it has, receiving aid and support to find a solution would become a much simpler task. Proposed solutions to dealing with food waste includes giving benefits to businesses who do put in work to reduce their portion of salvageable waste: “Business taxpayers that make inventory donations to charities can receive an income tax deduction” (Hatz 3). A tax deduction could help to motivate businesses since they would gain something out of helping reduce their food waste. Creating other perks for businesses, or individuals, when donating to charities could lead others to follow. Unique solutions are applied to diverse situations, such as turning the food scraps into fuel. An article discussing how this is done states, “anaerobic digestion has been drawing attention as a method that can not only accomplish greenhouse gas reduction but also use the food waste as an energy source” (Dahl 181). Methods such as these promote reduction of waste, while also cutting harmful gas emission. Food