American Food Waste: An Epidemic

          Jose Lopez, Nestle’s head of operations claims that “food waste is an incredible and absurd issue for the world today.” With so many nations facing hunger and food deprivation, the fact that the United States wastes such a monumental amount of food is indeed absurd. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, in 2012 Americans threw out roughly 35 million tons of food, making up well over a fifth of the country’s garbage. This has detrimental economic and environmental consequences. However, this problem is solvable, but first we must observe the error in our ways. Then, we can look into the solutions starting first with information, then action.

            A clear problem with food waste in our country can be seen in the fact that while an estimated one in every nine people in the world suffer from chronic hunger, Americans still throw out up to 40 percent of our food supply. This degree of food waste implicates that more food doesn’t need to be produced, but rather the food being produced needs to be distributed and preserved more effectively. The United Nations took note of this in their report on world hunger, explaining that there is enough food to feed all seven billion people living in the world today.

            The environment suffers as well due to the high degree of American food waste, as it increases methane emissions drastically. Decomposing food in landfills across the U.S. produce nearly a quarter of the country’s total methane emissions, according to the NRDC. Roberto A. Ferdman explains that methane is said to be 20 times more lethal a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide, making food waste dangerous to current environmental issues. Moreover, the economy suffers in a variety of ways, from food production to disposal and all realms in between. For instance, a new report suggests that the cost of disposing of food waste in the U.S. could be as high as $1.5 billion. The problems associated with food waste are undeniable, but now we must look into solutions.

            Information is a critical aspect in reducing food waste. The American public is largely unaware of how much they waste, and the impact they could have if changes were put in place. Donating food is one way this problem can be alleviated, by redirecting food from landfills to those in need. Furthermore, the national government can work to fund programs that directly limit food waste. One program known as SOSA (St. Andrew Food Salvage) can reduce landfill waste by as much as 30 million pounds a year. The government must also work to implement legislation with the goal of preventing and decreasing food waste. This legislation could include broad policies along with simple recommendations and guidelines. More decisive decisions can also be made in the form of increased regulations. However, the most influential directive will be promoting public information and awareness, so a change can be made person to person.

            America is in a precarious situation in regard to food waste, and without making changes, we will only get worse. However, these changes are extremely realistic and can work to reduce America’s unbelievable food wastage. Through the help of the national government, local governments, service programs, and individual efforts, this issue will be alleviated.