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I work in a school cafeteria, and thanks to the government mandates, we now have to MAKE the kids take fruit, vegetables and salad on the main lunch line. I wish I had a dime for every red delicious apple or orange or banana I saw just dumped untouched in the trash. I could take a nice vacation.
USED to be that resturants and cafeterias coulkd give the food to the pig farmers...now due to over-regulation that is not allowed..all food must be thrown out
That might be true where you live but not everywhere. Local resturants, cafes, etc... are able to make donations to local established soup kitchens. They just deliver their excess directly to the food kitchen (same day/evening).
For all of the scare-mongering about "overpopulation" leading to food shortages, it's sobering to realize that Americans waste 40% of their food.
"An average family of four squanders $2,275 in food each year, or 20 pounds per person per month, according to the nonprofit and nonpartisan environmental advocacy group. Food waste is the largest single portion of solid waste cramming American landfills. Since the 1970s, the amount of uneaten fare that is dumped has jumped 50%. The average American trashes 10 times as much food as a consumer in Southeast Asia, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council."
The article goes on to mention that $15 billion dollars of fruit and vegetables goes unsold in America's markets.
Also worth noting is that a billion acres of productive farmland has been abandoned worldwide due to greater productivity of corporate farming.
We're experiencing a "food bubble", ladies and gentlemen. There's too much food and it's much too cheap. There will be a correction someday.
Ever been to SE Asia? I have many times. One who would compare the culture of SE asia to the USA has obviously never been there.
In Thailand it is actually cheaper to buy prepared foods than it is too cook your own dinner. As a result they go to the many many markets and put a meal together. having been there perhaps 8 times I can tell you that not a morsal is left over. Thank god I carry snacks. Another reason for no left overs is the fact they tend to have refridgerators that are about 25% the size of ours. Another reason for less trash is that they recycle just about everything. I agree with their approach. People are paid for their recyclbles. It isn't left to civic duty.
There is also more litter along the roads and back streets.
For all of the scare-mongering about "overpopulation" leading to food shortages, it's sobering to realize that Americans waste 40% of their food.
"An average family of four squanders $2,275 in food each year, or 20 pounds per person per month, according to the nonprofit and nonpartisan environmental advocacy group. Food waste is the largest single portion of solid waste cramming American landfills. Since the 1970s, the amount of uneaten fare that is dumped has jumped 50%. The average American trashes 10 times as much food as a consumer in Southeast Asia, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council."
The article goes on to mention that $15 billion dollars of fruit and vegetables goes unsold in America's markets.
Also worth noting is that a billion acres of productive farmland has been abandoned worldwide due to greater productivity of corporate farming.
We're experiencing a "food bubble", ladies and gentlemen. There's too much food and it's much too cheap. There will be a correction someday.
While I think this subject has value. I see some assumptions. This sounds very much like a spin piece.
First I am highly skeptical of this verification of food waste. Yes there is much that is trashed from Large Agro. This has some verification ability. It is done with getting top dollar in mind. That is pure corporatism.
However, saying it is from consumers seems questionable. I don't know any food wasters and would question how they went and dug in garbage to get this info? Saying food is cheap is just plain crazy. This is almost all inflationary. Was it a survey? Those are definitely questionable. Need to know source of funding and study details. So far what I see makes me raise an eyebrow. It is always blamed on the consumer, the one that foots the bill.
The govt manipulates COL, the economy and the dollar value. GS(also govt owned) Index, now S&P(also govt owned) took food and made it into a long option only commodity which only made the cost of food worse.
The biggest single cost for food is transportation, which is why we should grow local. However, the big govt/big corp want their profits and control so they encourage the current model.
Actually a lot of food waste in terms of grocery stores and markets is due to excessive regulation. Markets cannot legally give away food that is just past expired (even if it is still good) to food kitchens, homeless shelters, etc. Most markets throw away food not because they want to, but because legally, they have to.
The worst is finding a full bottle of beer somewhere that you put down and forgot about the day before, like if fixing something in the garage or out on the patio. I don't think I lose 40% of 'em but damn that stings.
No need to waste a perfectly good (if flat) beer. It can be used to make a cake. You can also use it to kill snails, lighten your hair and it puts a little kick in your chili.
(Child of Depression parents and I actually listened to them.)
The worst is finding a full bottle of beer somewhere that you put down and forgot about the day before, like if fixing something in the garage or out on the patio. I don't think I lose 40% of 'em but damn that stings.
I can't say I ever wasted a beer. Once when I was drunk I decided to stop drinking and poured half a large bottle of rather expensive vodka down the drain though. It didn't work BTW... the liquor store had more.
That might be true where you live but not everywhere. Local resturants, cafes, etc... are able to make donations to local established soup kitchens. They just deliver their excess directly to the food kitchen (same day/evening).
I've mentioned this in other posts; my small town has a community kitchen/food bank/food pantry/clothes closet that gets donated foods from both grocery stores in town. They can get anything from veggies to cakes, anything the store can no longer sell.
Some of the food is used directly by the kitchen for the lunches they serve five days a week. Salad is always on the menu and the vegetables are always those that would have otherwise been thrown away because of one bad spot. Salad dressings may have expired yesterday or last week - but still good. Most of the perishable food and snacks goes to the food pantry
The food pantry offers fresh produce, bread and sometimes dairy and eggs (depending on cash donations for the latter two) three days a week. Again, the produce is usually blemished in some way; however, it cleans and freezes well. The bread is day old. Sometimes the dairy they buy is a few days shy of expiration dates, and I've gotten things past that date - and consumed everything without getting sick.
The nicest thing about the food pantry is that they ask no questions and all are welcome three days a week. We each get handed a shopping basket and there are limits on what to take (or not). Since I know how to prep food for later use I love getting the fruits. Any veggies I get are used that night for dinner, or I will freeze summer veggies for winter meals.
This one food program has saved the community a ton of money and saved a ton of useful food from being tossed into the dumpsters behind the store. A win-win for all of us.
I've mentioned this in other posts; my small town has a community kitchen/food bank/food pantry/clothes closet that gets donated foods from both grocery stores in town. They can get anything from veggies to cakes, anything the store can no longer sell.
Some of the food is used directly by the kitchen for the lunches they serve five days a week. Salad is always on the menu and the vegetables are always those that would have otherwise been thrown away because of one bad spot. Salad dressings may have expired yesterday or last week - but still good. Most of the perishable food and snacks goes to the food pantry
The food pantry offers fresh produce, bread and sometimes dairy and eggs (depending on cash donations for the latter two) three days a week. Again, the produce is usually blemished in some way; however, it cleans and freezes well. The bread is day old. Sometimes the dairy they buy is a few days shy of expiration dates, and I've gotten things past that date - and consumed everything without getting sick.
The nicest thing about the food pantry is that they ask no questions and all are welcome three days a week. We each get handed a shopping basket and there are limits on what to take (or not). Since I know how to prep food for later use I love getting the fruits. Any veggies I get are used that night for dinner, or I will freeze summer veggies for winter meals.
This one food program has saved the community a ton of money and saved a ton of useful food from being tossed into the dumpsters behind the store. A win-win for all of us.
I agree food banks are invaluable. They do a pretty good job.
For all of the scare-mongering about "overpopulation" leading to food shortages, it's sobering to realize that Americans waste 40% of their food.
"An average family of four squanders $2,275 in food each year, or 20 pounds per person per month, according to the nonprofit and nonpartisan environmental advocacy group. Food waste is the largest single portion of solid waste cramming American landfills. Since the 1970s, the amount of uneaten fare that is dumped has jumped 50%. The average American trashes 10 times as much food as a consumer in Southeast Asia, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council."
The article goes on to mention that $15 billion dollars of fruit and vegetables goes unsold in America's markets.
Also worth noting is that a billion acres of productive farmland has been abandoned worldwide due to greater productivity of corporate farming.
We're experiencing a "food bubble", ladies and gentlemen. There's too much food and it's much too cheap. There will be a correction someday.
Strange it bothered to separate the portion actually eaten out of the waste equation. It could have gone even further and shown facts supporting the position that consuming as much as you actually do is also a waste.
Eliminating the stuff thrown out and moving that into the quadrant of actual consumption would be even more disastrous. You'd need to build even bigger roads and vehicles just to move your big butts around!
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