Wasted Food Reduction
The U.S. Wastes Up To 40% of Its Food
The United States is facing a wasted food crisis. As much as 40% of food produced in the U.S. (i.e., roughly 63 million tons) is wasted, as well as all the resources invested to produce that food. This includes 19% of U.S. cropland, 18% of fertilizer, and 21% of fresh water usage.1 This substantial amount of waste occurs while an estimated one in seven U.S. citizens face food insecurity, lacking stable access to nutritious, affordable food.2
Strategies for Reduction & Donation
In alignment with the Environmental Protection Agency’s "Food Recovery Hierarchy", source reduction and recovery efforts should be made to the extent feasible prior to resorting to recycling solutions such as composting and anaerobic digestion. These include:
- Source Reduction: Reduce the volume of surplus food generated.
- Feed Hungry People: Donate extra food to food banks, soup kitchens, and shelters.
- Feed Animals: Divert food scraps to animal food.
Learn More About It
Deepen your knowledge and understanding of the wasted food issue -- as well as current solutions being proposed -- by exploring the navigation bar on the left side of this page. Click the tabs to find links to additional online resources and tools. You can also receive periodic updates by liking and following our page on Facebook: CLICK HERE.
Pledge to Reduce Wasted Food
Wondering what you can do to start making a difference? CLICK HERE to pledge to reduce wasted food in your home and then challenge your friends and family to do the same.
--
