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Food Waste Persists Despite Global Shortage
May 09, 2008 07:00 AM
by
findingDulcinea Staff
by Sarah Amandolare
Spiking food prices and worldwide shortages have not halted waste in Britain, where 3.6 tons of edibles are needlessly trashed yearly, emitting harmful gases.
Spiking food prices and worldwide shortages have not halted waste in Britain, where 3.6 tons of edibles are needlessly trashed yearly, emitting harmful gases.
30-Second Summary
The BBC reports that the tons of food that are discarded in England and Wales every year consist mostly of salad, fruit and bread. And according to a study by The Waste & Resources Action Programme, 60 percent of the trashed food items were untouched.
Instead of being donated or used productively, most of the food ends up in landfills, where it biodegrades and releases biogas, which is made up of 60 percent methane and 40 percent Carbon Dioxide.
Methane is 20 times more damaging to the environment than carbon dioxide, according to CNN, making biogas doubly harmful to the earth’s atmosphere.
Ironically, biogas can also be used for good. In Sweden, 7,000 cars, 779 buses, and one train are powered by biogas.
Britain’s startling food waste statistics come at a time of global food shortages and soaring food prices. "What shocked me the most was the cost of our food waste at a time of rising food bills, and generally a tighter pull on our purse strings," said Liz Goodwin of WRAP.
The price of food in Britain is higher than it has been in 18 months, according to the Daily Mail, but retailers have been protecting consumers by absorbing much of the increased costs.
Others are not as lucky. Leaders in Africa and India struggling to feed their populations have called on the West to stop diverting so many crops to biofuels, which many feel contributes to the food crisis.
Instead of being donated or used productively, most of the food ends up in landfills, where it biodegrades and releases biogas, which is made up of 60 percent methane and 40 percent Carbon Dioxide.
Methane is 20 times more damaging to the environment than carbon dioxide, according to CNN, making biogas doubly harmful to the earth’s atmosphere.
Ironically, biogas can also be used for good. In Sweden, 7,000 cars, 779 buses, and one train are powered by biogas.
Britain’s startling food waste statistics come at a time of global food shortages and soaring food prices. "What shocked me the most was the cost of our food waste at a time of rising food bills, and generally a tighter pull on our purse strings," said Liz Goodwin of WRAP.
The price of food in Britain is higher than it has been in 18 months, according to the Daily Mail, but retailers have been protecting consumers by absorbing much of the increased costs.
Others are not as lucky. Leaders in Africa and India struggling to feed their populations have called on the West to stop diverting so many crops to biofuels, which many feel contributes to the food crisis.
Headline Links: The implications of wasted food
The BBC reports that people in England and Wales are “needlessly” discarding 3.6 tons of food every year, most of which is salad, fruit and bread. Of the trashed food items, 60 percent were untouched, according to a study of 2,138 homes conducted by The Waste & Resources Action Programme. “What shocked me the most,” said Liz Goodwin of WRAP, “was the cost of our food waste at a time of rising food bills.”
Source: The BBC
There is a perception that discarded food biodegrades, having no negative impact on the earth, but environmentalists say biodegrading food is precisely the problem. CNN reports that “when food rots, it releases methane, a greenhouse gas which the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says is 20 times more damaging to the environment than carbon dioxide.”
Source: CNN
Background: Short on food, high on price
The British Retail Consortium found that “food prices are rising at the fastest annual rate for at least 18 months,” reports U.K. paper the Daily Mail. However, prices would be much higher if not for supermarket efforts to keep the prices of “basic commodities” relatively constant.
Source: Daily Mail
An article in Time magazine offers solutions for the global food shortage that has sent food prices soaring. According to the magazine, using Malawi’s successful fertilizer program as a model, abandoning food-into-fuel policies in Europe and the United States, and effectively weatherproofing world crops are key.
Source: Time
The Tanzanian president is one of many around the world who argue that biofuel production is causing food shortages. Others cite several factors, such as growing populations and dietary changes in places like China and India, for causing food costs to rise.
Source: finding Dulcinea
Reference: Changing consumer habits
The California Integrated Waste Management Board focuses on “food scrap management.” The Board offers advice and online resources for preventing food waste, feeding people, converting leftover food to animal feed, and food composting. Local food banks and food rescue programs across America are also listed, as well as compost workshops.
Source: California Integrated Waste Management Board
Love Food, Hate Waste raises awareness about food waste, and aims to reduce it by providing information and tools to help consumers change their food purchasing, preparation and disposal habits. The site has simple interactive tools for portioning meals, tips for saving time and money when buying and cooking food, and leftovers recipes.
Source: Love Food, Hate Waste
Freegans work to reduce waste in numerous ways, including by eating others’ discarded food. In following the “freeganism” philosophy, freegans often dumpster dive for food items thrown away by households, restaurants, and other businesses. The site includes information on freegan activities and practices, and has a directory of foraging sites.
Source: Freegan.info
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