Food waste in the United States

Food waste in the United States refers to the food that is discarded or lost uneaten across the country. This issue has significant environmental, economic, and social implications. Food waste occurs at various stages of the food supply chain, including production, processing, retail, and consumption.

Overview[edit | edit source]

Food waste in the United States is a major concern, with an estimated 30-40% of the food supply being wasted each year. This amounts to approximately 133 billion pounds and $161 billion worth of food. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have set a goal to reduce food waste by 50% by the year 2030.

Causes of Food Waste[edit | edit source]

Food waste can occur for a variety of reasons, including:

Production: Crops may be left unharvested due to market conditions, labor shortages, or cosmetic imperfections.
Processing: Food can be lost during processing due to inefficiencies or spoilage.
Retail: Supermarkets and other retailers may discard food that is near its sell-by date or does not meet aesthetic standards.
Consumption: Consumers often waste food due to over-purchasing, improper storage, or confusion over expiration dates.

Environmental Impact[edit | edit source]

Food waste has a significant environmental impact. When food is wasted, the resources used to produce it, such as water, energy, and land, are also wasted. Additionally, food waste contributes to greenhouse gas emissions when it decomposes in landfills, producing methane, a potent greenhouse gas.

Economic Impact[edit | edit source]

The economic impact of food waste is substantial. The cost of wasted food includes not only the value of the food itself but also the resources used to produce, transport, and dispose of it. Reducing food waste can lead to significant cost savings for businesses and households.

Social Impact[edit | edit source]

Food waste has social implications as well. While a significant amount of food is wasted, millions of Americans face food insecurity. Efforts to reduce food waste can help address this issue by redirecting surplus food to those in need.

Efforts to Reduce Food Waste[edit | edit source]

Several initiatives and programs aim to reduce food waste in the United States, including:

Food Recovery Programs: Organizations such as Feeding America work to recover surplus food and distribute it to those in need.
Public Awareness Campaigns: Campaigns like the EPA's "Food: Too Good to Waste" aim to educate consumers about the importance of reducing food waste.
Legislation: Policies such as the Good Samaritan Food Donation Act encourage food donation by providing liability protection to donors.

Related Pages[edit | edit source]

See Also[edit | edit source]

v t e Sustainability
Outline Index
Principles	Anthropocene Business action on climate change Business ethics Co-benefits of climate change mitigation Corporate sustainability Earth system governance Ecological modernization Environmental governance Environmentalism Ethical consumerism Global catastrophic risk Green economy Green growth Human impact on the environment Longtermism Planetary boundaries Social sustainability Stewardship Sustainability studies Capitalism Development Developmment goals Finance
Consumption	Anthropization Anti-consumerism Circular economy Earth Overshoot Day Ecological footprint Ethical Green Micro-sustainability Over-consumption Product stewardship Simple living Social return on investment Steady-state economy Sustainability Advertising Brand Marketing myopia Sustainable Consumer behaviour Market Systemic change resistance Tragedy of the commons
World population	Birth control Demographic transition Family planning Control Sustainable population Women's education and empowerment
Technology	Appropriate Digital sustainability Ecotechnology Environmental technology Environmental design High-performance buildings Natural building Superinsulation Sustainability science Sustainable architecture Sustainable design Sustainable design standards Sustainable flooring Sustainable industries Sustainable lighting Sustainable packaging Sustainable transport
Biodiversity	Biosecurity Biosphere Conservation biology Endangered species Holocene extinction Invasive species
Energy	Carbon footprint Climate change mitigation Conservation Descent Efficiency Electrification Emissions trading Energy conservation Energy efficiency implementation Fossil fuel divestment Fossil-fuel phase-out Peak oil Poverty Rebound effect Renewable
Food	Civic agriculture Climate-smart agriculture Community-supported agriculture Cultured meat Forest gardening Foodscaping Local Permaculture Security Sustainable agriculture Sustainable diet Sustainable fishery Urban horticulture Vegetable box scheme
Water	Conservation Desertification Efficiency Footprint Reclaimed Sanitation Scarcity Security
Accountability	Corporate environmental responsibility Corporate social responsibility Environmental accounting Environmental full-cost accounting Environmental planning Sustainability Accounting Measurement Metrics and indices Reporting Standards and certification Sustainable yield
Applications	Advertising Art Building insulation Business City Climate finance College programs Community Disinvestment Eco-capitalism Eco-investing Ecovillage Education Environmental finance Ethical banking Fashion Gardening Geopark Green Development Development Infrastructure Marketing Vehicle Impact investing Landscape Livelihood Living Low-impact development Market Music Organic movement Organizations Practices Procurement Public interest design Radical sustainability Refurbishment Social design Socially responsible business Socially responsible marketing Sourcing Space Sustainability organization Tourism Transport Urban drainage systems Urban infrastructure Urbanism
Sustainable management	Environmental Fisheries Forest Humanistic capitalism Landscape Materials Natural resource Planetary Waste
Agreements and conferences	UN Conference on the Human Environment (Stockholm 1972) Brundtlandt Commission Report (1983) Our Common Future (1987) Earth Summit (1992) Rio Declaration on Environment and Development (1992) Agenda 21 (1992) Convention on Biological Diversity (1992) ICPD Programme of Action (1994) Lisbon Principles (1997) Kyoto Protocol (1997) Earth Charter (2000) UN Millennium Declaration (2000) Earth Summit 2002 (Rio+10, Johannesburg) UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20, 2012) Sustainable Development Goals (2015) Paris Agreement (2015) UN Ocean Conference (2017)
Category Lists Science Studies Degrees

v t e Human impact on the environment
General	Anthropocene Environmental issues list of issues Human impact on marine life List of global issues Impact assessment Planetary boundaries
Causes	Agriculture animal agriculture cannabis cultivation irrigation meat production cocoa production palm oil Bitcoin Energy industry biofuels biodiesel coal nuclear power oil shale petroleum reservoirs Genetic pollution Environmental crime Explosives Industrialisation Land use Manufacturing cleaning agents concrete fashion plastics nanotechnology paint paper pesticides pharmaceuticals and personal care Marine life fishing fishing down the food web marine pollution overfishing Mining Overconsumption Overdrafting Overexploitation Overgrazing Particulates Pollution Quarrying Reservoirs Tourism Transport aviation rail roads shipping Urbanization urban sprawl War
Effects	Biodiversity threats biodiversity loss decline in amphibian populations decline in insect populations Climate change runaway climate change Coral reefs Deforestation Defaunation Desertification Ecocide Erosion Environmental degradation Freshwater cycle Habitat destruction Holocene extinction Nitrogen cycle Land degradation Land consumption Land surface effects on climate Loss of green belts Phosphorus cycle Ocean acidification Ozone depletion Resource depletion Water degradation Water scarcity
Mitigation	Alternative fuel vehicle propulsion Birth control Cleaner production Climate change mitigation Climate engineering Community resilience Cultured meat Decoupling Ecological engineering Environmental engineering Environmental mitigation Industrial ecology Mitigation banking Organic farming Recycling Reforestation urban Restoration ecology Sustainable consumption Waste minimization
Commons Category by country assessment mitigation

This United States–related article is a stub. You can help WikiMD by expanding it.

Contents