One Third of the world's food is wasted.

I knew people wasted food, but I didn't think it was this bad. According to a report by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) entitled "The Food Wastage Footprint", about one third of the world's food used for human consumption is wasted. That is about 1.3 billion tonnes of food, worth $750 billion dollars (based on producer prices, so it is probably even more money if you account for the market value of the food), that is wasted per year. This wasted foot accounts for a carbon footprint of 3.3 billion tonnes a year, which produces more greenhouse gases than any country except for the U.S. and China. About 30% of the world's agricultural land is used to produce food that is wasted, that amount of land is like "China plus Mongolia plus Kazakhstan".

In June Pope Francis has spoken about food waste, saying "Consumerism has led us to become used to an excess and daily waste of food, to which, at times we are no longer able to give a just value. Throwing away food is like stealing from the table of the poor and the hungry,.

The FAO says food waste could reduced by a number of ways, including "improving communication between producers and consumers to manage the supply chain more efficiently", and that businesses should donate "surplus" food to charities and "develop alternatives to dumping organic waste in landfill."

So what are some ways we can reduce food wastage around the world? One thing would be, for developing countries to better develop their transportation infrastructure (roads, etc.) so that they can more quickly transport their foods before they spoil, and to increase electricity access throughout the developing countries (I think there is a bill in Congress which would provide funding to help projects that would lead to 150 million people in Africa gaining access to electricity) so that they could have better access to refrigeration and reduce food spoilage.

While I like buffets, I think they do encourage food waste, so maybe we can cut down on how often we go to them.

Also the whole thing about 1/3 of the world's food being wasted kind of undercuts the claims that people in third world countries lack food due to "overpopulation". And really the problem lies in our inefficient, wasteful use of the world's food supply, not due to any alleged and exaggerated "overpopulation".

okay

So you think that the most effort should be put into developing countries? What about the food that developed countries waste? 

So you think that the most effort should be put into developing countries? What about the food that developed countries waste?

jimkabrhel

I've also heard, I don't know if this is true or not, that government subsidies to farmers and agribusiness sometimes encourage less cultivation so that prices will be higher, which maybe is something that should be eased up a bit.

[QUOTE="jimkabrhel"]

So you think that the most effort should be put into developing countries? What about the food that developed countries waste?

whipassmt

I've also heard, I don't know if this is true or not, that government subsidies to farmers and agribusiness sometimes encourage less cultivation so that prices will be higher, which maybe is something that should be eased up a bit.

I suggest that before you start making random suggestions, you get the full story. Countries where there are greater issues with producing food in the first place becuase of wather and politics will likely create less waste than devloped and industrialized nations who mass-produce food at relatively cheap prices. 

For your reference:

http://www.unep.org/wed/quickfacts/

Yes, it would require consumers in developed nations to change lifestyle, since most of the waste is further down the chain, and would likely require some actual effort, whereas many of us are just too lazy to change.

[QUOTE="jimkabrhel"]

So you think that the most effort should be put into developing countries? What about the food that developed countries waste?

whipassmt

I've also heard, I don't know if this is true or not, that government subsidies to farmers and agribusiness sometimes encourage less cultivation so that prices will be higher, which maybe is something that should be eased up a bit.

[QUOTE="whipassmt"]

[QUOTE="jimkabrhel"]

So you think that the most effort should be put into developing countries? What about the food that developed countries waste?

deeliman

I've also heard, I don't know if this is true or not, that government subsidies to farmers and agribusiness sometimes encourage less cultivation so that prices will be higher, which maybe is something that should be eased up a bit.

[QUOTE="deeliman"][QUOTE="whipassmt"] I was just mentioning some ideas. Developed countries probably account for more waste. The thing is I thing a lot of the waste reduction in developing countries could come through technological advances, whereas the waste reduction in wealthy nations like the U.S. will have more to do with a change in lifestyle/mindset and perhaps require a bit of sacrifice. I think there are things we can do here as well, perhaps more widescale cultivation of small home gardens for family use could help as well.

I've also heard, I don't know if this is true or not, that government subsidies to farmers and agribusiness sometimes encourage less cultivation so that prices will be higher, which maybe is something that should be eased up a bit.

whipassmt

Meh. Government doesn't know anything and it's always the guilty party. Everyone should just grow food themselves, and forget mass producing food. We'd be a lot better off without government control and regulation of food products.

[QUOTE="deeliman"][QUOTE="whipassmt"] I was just mentioning some ideas. Developed countries probably account for more waste. The thing is I thing a lot of the waste reduction in developing countries could come through technological advances, whereas the waste reduction in wealthy nations like the U.S. will have more to do with a change in lifestyle/mindset and perhaps require a bit of sacrifice. I think there are things we can do here as well, perhaps more widescale cultivation of small home gardens for family use could help as well.

I've also heard, I don't know if this is true or not, that government subsidies to farmers and agribusiness sometimes encourage less cultivation so that prices will be higher, which maybe is something that should be eased up a bit.

whipassmt

[QUOTE="whipassmt"]

[QUOTE="deeliman"] Actually, I think a lot of that wasted food comes from EU agriculture, since they get fines if they produce too much, and if they do produce too much they just throw it away so they don't get the fine.deeliman

I'm far more interested in the history of EU agricultural that blind criticism of government handling of food.

[QUOTE="whipassmt"]

[QUOTE="deeliman"] Actually, I think a lot of that wasted food comes from EU agriculture, since they get fines if they produce too much, and if they do produce too much they just throw it away so they don't get the fine.jimkabrhel

Meh. Government doesn't know anything and it's always the guilty party. Everyone should just grow food themselves, and forget mass producing food. We'd be a lot better off without government control and regulation of food products.

[QUOTE="jimkabrhel"]

[QUOTE="whipassmt"] That sounds like a dumb policy, and also an issue of government overstepping its proper authority and unjustly penalizing people.

whipassmt

Meh. Government doesn't know anything and it's always the guilty party. Everyone should just grow food themselves, and forget mass producing food. We'd be a lot better off without government control and regulation of food products.

I was also being completely sarcastic.

[QUOTE="deeliman"][QUOTE="whipassmt"] That sounds like a dumb policy, and also an issue of government overstepping its proper authority and unjustly penalizing people.

jimkabrhel

I'm far more interested in the history of EU agricultural that blind criticism of government handling of food.

[QUOTE="whipassmt"]

[QUOTE="jimkabrhel"]

Meh. Government doesn't know anything and it's always the guilty party. Everyone should just grow food themselves, and forget mass producing food. We'd be a lot better off without government control and regulation of food products.

jimkabrhel

I was also being completely sarcastic.

At the Wal-mart I work at we used to discount things like chicken after the deli closed and sell them for significantly reduced prices. Now the top execs say we have to throw the food away. So here we are let top executives tell us we have to throw perfectly good food in the garbage. It's a fact that tons of food goes to waste. ferrari2001

[QUOTE="jimkabrhel"]

[QUOTE="whipassmt"] hmm. Now you sound like a libertarian.

whipassmt

I was also being completely sarcastic.

I was kidding about the blind part, since your criticism of farm restrictions is pretty accurate. I've seen far too much random, ignorant criticism of government control lately that I'm getting sick of it.

We do need government regulation to make sure our food is safe, as you said, but the government cannot regulate how people use and discard food. That's a cultural and societal issue, and something that SHOULD be changed over time. We simply cannot waste or food as much as we do, because we have finite space to grow and produce food for a rapidly growing population, not just in the US, but all throught the world. 

At the Wal-mart I work at we used to discount things like chicken after the deli closed and sell them for significantly reduced prices. Now the top execs say we have to throw the food away. So here we are let top executives tell us we have to throw perfectly good food in the garbage. It's a fact that tons of food goes to waste. ferrari2001

[QUOTE="ferrari2001"]At the Wal-mart I work at we used to discount things like chicken after the deli closed and sell them for significantly reduced prices. Now the top execs say we have to throw the food away. So here we are let top executives tell us we have to throw perfectly good food in the garbage. It's a fact that tons of food goes to waste. whipassmt

[QUOTE="whipassmt"]

[QUOTE="jimkabrhel"]

I was also being completely sarcastic.

jimkabrhel

I was kidding about the blind part, since your criticism of farm restrictions is pretty accurate. I've seen far too much random, ignorant criticism of government control lately that I'm getting sick of it.

We do need government regulation to make sure our food is safe, as you said, but the government cannot regulate how people use and discard food. That's a cultural and societal issue, and something that SHOULD be changed over time. We simply cannot waste or food as much as we do, because we have finite space to grow and produce food for a rapidly growing population, not just in the US, but all throught the world.

[QUOTE="whipassmt"]

[QUOTE="ferrari2001"]At the Wal-mart I work at we used to discount things like chicken after the deli closed and sell them for significantly reduced prices. Now the top execs say we have to throw the food away. So here we are let top executives tell us we have to throw perfectly good food in the garbage. It's a fact that tons of food goes to waste. ferrari2001

I don't remember my local walmart having a deli, though they recently had a "grand opening" and I haven't been there in a while so maybe now they do.

[QUOTE="whipassmt"]

[QUOTE="jimkabrhel"]

I was also being completely sarcastic.

jimkabrhel

I was kidding about the blind part, since your criticism of farm restrictions is pretty accurate. I've seen far too much random, ignorant criticism of government control lately that I'm getting sick of it.

We do need government regulation to make sure our food is safe, as you said, but the government cannot regulate how people use and discard food. That's a cultural and societal issue, and something that SHOULD be changed over time. We simply cannot waste or food as much as we do, because we have finite space to grow and produce food for a rapidly growing population, not just in the US, but all throught the world. 

Actually, the amount of space we have to grow crops doesn't matter nearly as much as the intensification of farmland. I also wouldn't worry so much about about food shortages, at least not if you live in any western country, because they can produce a lot more food than they already do, the only reason they don't is because it wouldn't be profitable.

All that means is 2/3 of the world's food isn't being wasted

[QUOTE="jimkabrhel"]

[QUOTE="whipassmt"] I assumed you were, though I never claimed that "eveyone should just grow food themselves and forget mass producing food" or that we should get rid of government regulation of food products, I mean I'de like there to be some safety standards so that I don't buy contaminated food.

deeliman

I was kidding about the blind part, since your criticism of farm restrictions is pretty accurate. I've seen far too much random, ignorant criticism of government control lately that I'm getting sick of it.

We do need government regulation to make sure our food is safe, as you said, but the government cannot regulate how people use and discard food. That's a cultural and societal issue, and something that SHOULD be changed over time. We simply cannot waste or food as much as we do, because we have finite space to grow and produce food for a rapidly growing population, not just in the US, but all throught the world. 

Actually, the amount of space we have to grow crops doesn't matter nearly as much as the intensification of farmland. I also wouldn't worry so much about about food shortages, at least not if you live in any western country, because they can produce a lot more food than they already do, the only reason they don't is because it wouldn't be profitable.

One of the issues that western countries may deal with more in the future is farmland that is dedicated to growing crops not for food, but for plants that are used for fuel feedstocks (i.e. ethanol, biodiesel), and for biopolymer feedstocks. There are already government subsidies for corn ethanol in the US and I think we will see more of that kind of subsidy in the future as renewable resourced become more prominent, and petrochemical feedstocks diminish.

All that means is 2/3 of the world's food isn't being wasted

Blueresident87

[QUOTE="deeliman"]

[QUOTE="jimkabrhel"]

I was kidding about the blind part, since your criticism of farm restrictions is pretty accurate. I've seen far too much random, ignorant criticism of government control lately that I'm getting sick of it.

We do need government regulation to make sure our food is safe, as you said, but the government cannot regulate how people use and discard food. That's a cultural and societal issue, and something that SHOULD be changed over time. We simply cannot waste or food as much as we do, because we have finite space to grow and produce food for a rapidly growing population, not just in the US, but all throught the world. 

jimkabrhel

Actually, the amount of space we have to grow crops doesn't matter nearly as much as the intensification of farmland. I also wouldn't worry so much about about food shortages, at least not if you live in any western country, because they can produce a lot more food than they already do, the only reason they don't is because it wouldn't be profitable.

One of the issues that western countries may deal with more in the future is farmland that is dedicated to growing crops not for food, but for plants that are used for fuel feedstocks (i.e. ethanol, biodiesel), and for biopolymer feedstocks. There are already government subsidies for corn ethanol in the US and I think we will see more of that kind of subsidy in the future as renewable resourced become more prominent, and petrochemical feedstocks diminish.

Actually, I think a lot of that wasted food comes from EU agriculture, since they get fines if they produce too much, and if they do produce too much they just throw it away so they don't get the fine.

deeliman

Food surpluses would upset the desired balance of supply and demand, so policy mandates destruction of the surpluses to protect prices.

It's basically a form of "price fixing".

I suppose we could send all of our left overs to the fast food industry so they could pump all their weird preservatives into the food. Then we could send it to third world countries.

Food waste solved!

I suppose we could send all of our left overs to the fast food industry so they could pump all their weird preservatives into the food. Then we could send it to third world countries.

Food waste solved!

KC_Hokie

Getting rid of preservatives would certainly solve or wasted food problem.

So you think that the most effort should be put into developing countries? What about the food that developed countries waste? 

jimkabrhel

I don't know what to say other than, that sucks.

I'm honestly surprised more than 1/3 is not wasted.

A big part of this wasted food is when people go to a restaurant, order something, and leave half or more on the plate. Also, retail stores throw away food that reaches the expiration date, even if it's still good. And I'm sure in many places surplus food is destroyed to keep the demand in check and raise prices.

And I'm sure in many places surplus food is destroyed to keep the demand in check and raise prices.

nunovlopes

It wouldn't surprise me if that turned out to be one of the most significant sources of waste in developed countries.

POLITICS EXPLOSION, BOOOM!!!!

Yeah. It ends up being too expensive to take the extra and distribute it. High food safety standards don't help either. Often a lot of food gets destroyed because it doesn't meant a certain minimum of safety regulations. 

It's a price we pay I guess.

I've worked in both food service and for grocery stores. The amount of food that they have to get rid of because of safety standards is extraordinary. 

Trust me food isn't wasted for no reason or because people want to waste food. If the food could be distributed without encurring high costs they would. Wasted food = wasted money. Nobody likes that.

Luckily this isn't a real problem. Right now it's not a big expense to waste food. As food prices increase wasting food won't be as much of an option for anybody.

All that means is 2/3 of the world's food isn't being wasted

Blueresident87

We technically have enough food to feed everybody around the world, the problem is uneven distribution of food.

okay

lostrib

At the Wal-mart I work at we used to discount things like chicken after the deli closed and sell them for significantly reduced prices. Now the top execs say we have to throw the food away. So here we are let top executives tell us we have to throw perfectly good food in the garbage. It's a fact that tons of food goes to waste. ferrari2001

This is why I get to the local grocer where they have the day-old fried chicken on sale. You can get a full fried chicken set for $2.50! Then, they sell a crapload of day-old Jo Jo potatoes with it for an extra $1.50.

Dengit, now I want fried chicken.

Gotta eat more I guess. Also, the people in third world countries should start farming.guynamedbilly

You'd think with all the sadness and death, there would be enough tears and dead bodies to make the ground fertile.

[QUOTE="whipassmt"]

[QUOTE="ferrari2001"]At the Wal-mart I work at we used to discount things like chicken after the deli closed and sell them for significantly reduced prices. Now the top execs say we have to throw the food away. So here we are let top executives tell us we have to throw perfectly good food in the garbage. It's a fact that tons of food goes to waste. ferrari2001