The U.S. produces about 591 billion pounds of food each year for consumption, and it is estimated that Americans waste more than 40 percent of that, costing farmers, consumers and businesses hundreds of billions of dollars.
Reducing food waste has been the goal of journalist and activist, Jonathan Bloom, for almost a decade. Bloom is an author, blogger, consultant and journalist whose writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times and Newsweek. His book, “American Wasteland: How America Throws Away Nearly Half of Its Food (And What We Can Do About It)”, won the IACP Green Matters Award in June 2011. He blogs at Wasted Food and consults regularly on food waste reduction, most recently with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization.
“I’ve been researching this topic since 2005, when two experiences made me aware of just how much food is wasted,” Writes Bloom on his blog.” Volunteering at D.C. Central Kitchen, a homeless shelter that rescues unused food from restaurants and supermarkets illuminated the excess in those areas. Gleaning, or gathering crops that would otherwise be left in the field and distributing them to the hungry, illustrated the agricultural abundance that is often plowed under.”
Bloom stresses that if you look for it, you can find food waste happening just about everywhere.
“I see food waste everywhere. Food waste starts at the farm, and happens at every step of the food chain, and on into our own homes,” he said. “Whether you’re at a restaurant, supermarket, or even having friends over for dinner chances are, there is going to be food wasted. It’s just a question of having our eyes opened, and being able to see the amount of waste is ubiquitous.”
Food waste is not only costly; it is also an important factor in climate change. Environmentally, food waste leads to a wasteful use of water, increases in fertilizers and pesticides in the soil, and more rotting food, creating more methane – one of the most harmful greenhouse gases that contributes to climate change.
On a personal or household level, Bloom gives tips to reduce food waste. A great place to start, he says, is to be a better consumer. Before hitting the grocery store, or farmer’s market, you should know what you already have at home. Planning meals in advance is also a good way to avoid purchasing more food than you can use.
