-Americans Throw Away Tons of Food

By: Zuri A.K.Hodge

Have you ever done this? You put food in your pantry or refrigerator, and eventually it may stay there and spoil, so you throw it away. You have just contributed to the millions of tons of food thrown away.

I believe that Americans waste too much food. Other countries waste food too, but America is notorious for this. In 2010 alone, the US wasted 33 million tons of food, according to a report from The Natural Resource Defense Council (NRDC). http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2012/08/22/40-of-u-s-food-wasted-report-says/

That food could've fed a hungry child in India, Africa, a family in Haiti or even a homeless person in the Virgin Islands. There are too many people around the world dying of starvation to be throwing away food. It’s selfish and unfair. We don’t even realize it.

The Natural Resource Defense Council ( NRDC) reported that the average American family wastes $2,275 yearly on food thrown away. “With the price of food continuing to grow, and drought jeopardizing farmers nationwide, now is the time to embrace all the tremendous untapped opportunities to get more out of our food system,” said NRDC project scientist Dana Gunders, and I agree fully with her!

Half of the food produced in the U.S. is wasted, according to a new study by the University of Arizona. http://www.foodproductiondaily.com/Supply-Chain/Half-of-US-food-goes-to-waste

There are many ways we can stop wasting food and money. When grocery shopping, write a list and stick to it, so you buy only what you need. Buy loose fruits and vegetables instead of pre-packaged produce, then you can buy exactly the amount you need. Try to use leftovers instead of throwing them away. You may also freeze foods like extra bread, vegetables, and leftovers. You can even donate extra food to a local homeless shelter or missionary.

This excessive waste isn’t just in our households. Seventeen percent of the food in restaurant meals are not eaten. http://www.kcra.com/news/national/Report-40-of-US-food-wasted/-/11797450/16225112/-/a754lhz/-/index.html

Food waste happens at all levels of the supply chain. Farmers may leave crops unharvested or discard them, because they don’t look the way consumers expect it to look.

In the beginning of 2012, the European Parliament accepted a resolution to reduce food waste by 50 percent by 2020, and dubbed 2014, "The European year against food waste." People will also be seeing a project by the U.K.'s Public Awareness Campaign called "Love Food, Hate Waste," which has been established for the past five years. Other countries have been trying to reduce their contribution to food waste. http://www.nrdc.org/food/wasted-food.asp

Maybe the U.S. should take notes!