Food waste is a major issue in the United States, as well as the world. Research shows that about 97% of food wasted in the United States ends up in landfills and the less than 3% of waste that doesn’t see a landfill is being utilized in other commodities such as compost, black soldier fly larvae, and other methods. That means that approximately 30-40% of the calories available to the human population finds their way into the landfill.

Although the global economy and environment are slowly becoming more aware of the massive issue regarding food waste, it’s still one of the biggest issues plaguing, not only the agriculture industry, but also the global economic, ethical, and environment. Public speaker and author of the book, America’s Waste Land, and founder of Wasted Food joins me today to shed some light on this significant issue, share his thoughts on what the ag industry – as well as consumers in general – can do to increase awareness and make a difference in the world by finding different ways to reduce the amount of food wasted throughout the country.

 

“Food waste is simply a poor use of resources. To me, it’s being a poor steward of the Earth.” – Johnathan Bloom

 

This Week on The Future of Agriculture Podcast:

• Why consumers should care about food waste and its impact on the global economics, ethics, and environmental factors.
• About $200-Billion dollars are squandered nationally by wasted food. That’s about $2,000 per family in food not eaten.
• The food waste data does not show the amount of ag-level waste because we don’t have a good enough handle on the amount of food being wasted at the farm level.
• On an international scale, the amount of food wasted amounts to about $2.6-Trillion.
• Depending on the price of harvest, farmers might not be able to justify the expenditure of time and labor to harvest certain crops such as sweet potatoes.
• The misconception of “sell by” and expiration dates on food.
• Where food goes when you put it in the garbage disposal.
• How several European countries are making progress in reducing food waste.
• How the ag-community can inspire consumers to utilize food in the best ways possible.
• The positive changes Johnathan has seen since he began his food waste project.

 

Practical Things Consumers Can Do to Reduce Food Waste:

• Become a smarter shopper. Plan what food you will need before going shopping.
• Think more about portion sizes.
• Use your freezer as a resource.
• Stop treating “sell by” and expiration dates as the be all, end all. Instead, use them as a guide, trust your instincts and senses.

 

Connect with Johnathan Bloom:

• Wasted Food
• Wasted Food on Twitter
• Wasted Food on Instagram
• America’s Wasteland book
• Just Eat It documentary

 

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