Food Waste

Food waste is now recognized as a global problem, with roughly one third of the edible parts of food produced for human consumption lost or destroyed, amounting to approximately $1.3 billion per year. Water and energy, as well as raw materials for future use, are but some of the resources affected by wasting food. Food waste also has serious consequences for the environment and public health. Contrary to the belief that food as organic matter decays or evaporates harmlessly in landfills, the anaerobic decomposition of food [Page 643]waste (and other biodegradable waste) in landfills produces several greenhouse gases including methane, a greenhouse gas that is 21 times more potent than carbon dioxide.

The occurrence of waste along the supply chain in industrialized countries differs from that ...