Happy Hump Day, Shit Givers.
Turns out today is also Stop Food Waste Day, so it felt like a good opportunity to center today’s issue around that. Food waste, in addition to being one of my biggest personal pet peeves at home, is genuinely one of the dumbest things humans do.
In the US alone, about a third of the entire food supply is wasted. The average family of four wastes about $2900 a year in food (in this economy?!). And food waste is responsible for about 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Meanwhile, tens of millions of Americans don’t have enough to eat. That’s system that’s just not working.
So let’s find out what we can do on the individual level (because this is one issue where, while definitely much bigger than a personal responsibility problem, you can make a significant difference!), how we can hold corporations accountable, what policy changes will actually move the needle, and what can be done globally (because waste and hunger is certainly not just a domestic story).
Let’s go.
— Willow
Start at home (but don’t stop there)
Here’s the thing: consumers do generate the most food waste of any sector. Households and restaurant diners account for close to 35 million tons of wasted food annually. Even as food prices have risen over the past few years, consumer waste rates have remained basically the same.
Some of the biggest drivers are confusing date labels, oversized portions, and produce that goes bad before we get to it. But, good news! It’s all solvable, and some of the solutions are even free (meal planning, proper storage, etc.).
Here’s what else you can do:
Download the Too Good To Go app (available in the US, Canada, Australia, and across Europe) to find perfectly good food that restaurants and grocery stores near you would otherwise throw away, at a discounted price. (go)
Use Misfits Market to find produce that would otherwise be discarded for simply being quirky, despite being 100% edible. (go)
Buy a Mill kitchen bin. It turns food scraps into grounds that don’t stink, and are then shipped back to be used as chicken feed. Circularity for the win! (go)
The corporate side (it’s not just you)
A “personal responsibility” framing leaves out the fact that businesses generate 21.5 million tons of surplus food annually. Grocery stores throw out food that doesn’t sell in time, restaurants prepare food that doesn’t get eaten, manufacturers discard food that doesn’t meet cosmetic standards, and tons of food is lost throughout the supply chain.
Here’s what you can do:
Use ReFed’s policy find tool that maps food waste policies by state, to find data and policy tools for food waste reduction. (go)
And check out their Restaurant Food Waste Action Guide for specific actions restaurants can take to minimize waste. (go)
Food & Water Watch organizes around the full scope of food system accountability from factory farming to clean water to supply chain waste. Join one of their local chapters. (go)
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The policy fix (what to scale)
Individual actions and corporate scorecards matter, but the most powerful level on food waste is policy.
Here’s what you can do:
There is currently no national standard for date labels on food in the US, which leads to confusing phrases that mean different things on different products, and results in perfectly good food getting thrown out due to confusion. The Food Date Labelling Act would create two standardized labels to indicate peak quality and safety. (go)
The current Farm Bill is way overdue (sigh). A fair Farm Bill would invest in food waste reduction, strengthen SNAP, support regenerative farming to reduce supply chain loss, and protect food workers. (go)
The Food Research and Action Center is the leading US advocacy organization working at the intersection of food access and federal food policy. Volunteer or donate (go).
However, policy takes time. Food rescue organizations are doing the work right now, getting food that would otherwise be wasted onto the plates of people who need it most.
Here are just a few groups to volunteer with or donate to:
412 Food Rescue is a Pittsburgh-based but a national model of using a volunteer app to route surplus food directly from donors to neighbors in need. (go)
Spoonfuls serves Massachusetts, rescuing surplus food from grocery stores, farms, and food manufacturers and delivering it to families in need. (go)
Sharing Excess is based in Philadelphia, and partners with businesses and universities to rescue surplus food and connect it with community organizations. (go)
Forgotten Harvest is Detroit’s food rescue organization, rescuing food from across the supply chain and delivering it to food pantries. (go)
Second Harvest is Canada’s largest food rescue organization, reducing food waste and feeding people. It just makes sense. (go)
Food for Life rescues surplus food in Ontario, diverting thousands of pounds from landfill every week. (go)
And another thing!
According to the UN Food and Agricultural Organization, the food that is lost and wasted globally could feed 1.26 billion hungry people every year. Read that again.
The global picture is of course more complex — in high-income countries most loss happens at the consumer end, but in lower-income countries most loss happens earlier in the supply chain due to poor cold storage infrastructure, inadequate transportation, and lack of processing capacity.
Here’s what you can do:
Read the From Plate to Planet report from IPES-Food, for a clear explainer on how food system transformation connects with climate, hunger, waste, and equity. (go)
Action Against Hunger works in over 50 countries to treat severe malnutrition and build food security in communities facing hunger emergencies. (go)
The Aga Khan Development Network takes a holistic approach to meeting the immediate needs of low-income communities worldwide, while also contributing to infrastructure development for lasting well-being. (go)
A gentle reminder that while personal changes matter, you didn’t design this system, so don’t feel too much guilt about forgetting leftovers or letting spinach go bad. Keep showing up for policy changes, corporate accountability, and food rescue infrastructure to really help move the needle!
Thank you — as always — for giving a shit.
— Willow
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