Waste: Uncovering the Global Food Scandal

Waste: Uncovering the Global Food Scandal by Tristram Stuart

People in the world are starving, yet huge amounts of food go to waste. How can that be?  There are numerous competing priorities to lead to this predicament. Concerns about food safety often lead to overzealous one-size-fits-all regulations that lead to more waste. Economic concerns also lead to more waste. It is more economical to produce extra that is later discarded than to not have enough for what is desired by customers. There are also competing uses for food. Biofuels help reduce fossil-fuel carbon emissions, yet they often use the same crops used to produce food.

How do resolve food waste problems? The easiest is to start with separation of food waste from other waste. Composting food waste or using it for animal feed is much more efficient than sending it to the dump. However, it is even better to make sure that it is not wasted. Serving smaller portions and then letting people have more is an effective way to limit discards. This meshes with some cultural norms, but goes strongly against others.

The best use of food is as actual food. Grocery stores can mark down or give away food near the end of its shelf life. This ensures more food can be consumed rather than tossed. The author has experience "dumpster diving" for food. This can often be used to find good amounts of food. However, businesses have concerns about the mess it causes or the danger that could occur with bad food. Why not just give it away via a more legitimate means so that it does not go to waste? 

Sell by dates are also a big problem that needs to be addressed.  Some products may be unsafe after the date. Others may be fine to eat decades after the date. One size fits all is not good.

In the less developed world, there are different challenges. Many crops end up going to waste in the storage or transportation process. 

Waste is a huge problem. It is easy to describe, but hard to resolve.