Our society often overlooks the glaring problem of food insecurity and food waste without realizing how detrimental they truly are. Food insecurity refers to the lack of access to quality food and fresh produce whereas food waste is leftover and excess food that is discarded throughout the supply chain, from initial production to distribution and, finally, consumption. What many don’t realize is that these two issues can be combatted together to create a more sustainable food industry.
In 2021, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations reported that $1 trillion worth of food goes to waste every year globally. In the United States, wasted food accounts for roughly 30 to 40 percent of the total food supply. These numbers reflect food waste that occurs at every stage of production. “Between the farm gate and retail stages, food loss can arise from problems during drying, milling, transporting, or processing that expose food to damage by insects, rodents, birds, molds, and bacteria,” according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. “At the retail level, equipment malfunction (such as faulty cold storage), over-ordering, and culling of blemished produce can result in food loss.”
These issues understandably result in waste, but they are also preventable. Additionally, the consumer appeal of aesthetically pleasing goods drives retailers and farmers to toss bruised or unconventional-looking goods. Think about the rise in successful dumpster-diving videos at retail chains and the one-third of harvests never reaching supermarket shelves.
Consumers also contribute to this cycle of waste when they purchase more food than necessary, only to end up throwing away rotting produce or neglecting nonperishables in the back of their pantry. This excess of food eventually ends up in the trash instead of the hands of someone who really needs it. Not only this, but the food we throw out also has negative effects on the climate. Food waste is the single most common material in landfills, accounting for 24 percent, and, as food rots, it releases a significant amount of methane. Excluding methane emissions, the Environmental Protection Agency has estimated the waste of resources, like land, water and energy, from uneaten food accounts for 170 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions. These issues are cyclical as climate change can contribute to further food insecurity.
Though food insecurity is a significant issue for the American people, its root causes often go unaddressed. Food insecurity is not just the issue of having a lack of access to food, it is also not having access to quality food, including fresh produce, that allows people to live their lives to the fullest. This could happen for many reasons, such as poverty, unemployment, lack of affordable housing, medical emergencies and climate disasters, and it could lead to a myriad of additional issues, such as malnutrition, obesity, heart disease and stress. It is reported that, in the United States, 47 million people experience food insecurity every year. With impending tariffs, rising food prices may escalate food insecurity in the United States. Now, more than ever, we must fight food insecurity proactively by reducing the amount of food we waste.
On a consumer level, we need to be conscious about how much we buy; make sure to buy according to what we need to prevent food waste. If we know food will not be consumed before rotting or expiring, nonprofits and food banks can help distribute excess food to those in need. Additionally, modern programs can connect you with food that would have been wasted — Too Good To Go, an app, allows you to “rescue” leftover food from restaurants that would have been tossed for a fraction of the price, and Misfits Market, a subscription, delivers perfectly edible goods that do not meet retailers’ superficial standards.
While nonprofits like Feeding America seek to intercept five billion pounds of food from being brought to landfills every year, this is only a small fraction of food waste in the United States let alone on a global scale. There must be large-scale governmental reforms that prevent food waste on the market level. This includes a system working efficiently with retailers and farmers to repurpose their excess food and send it directly to nonprofits or other redistribution groups.
Limiting food waste efforts can also happen on our campus and there are ways to get involved. For one, be more mindful of food waste in our day-to-day, whether that means only taking what you can eat at dining halls or donating to a food pantry. Another way to get involved is through the Food Recovery Network on campus, which provides volunteer opportunities for those who want to combat food insecurity. Through this network, students and staff volunteer to package leftover food from dining halls and deliver them to a local soup kitchen.
Perhaps the easiest thing one can do is to start a conversation and be honest about our habits. When a simple solution that aids people in need, our economy and our environment is present, we need to encourage others to do their part and help out.
Lauren Wilner is a junior majoring in philosophy, politics and law.
Views expressed in the opinions pages represent the opinions of the columnists. The only piece that represents the view of the Pipe Dream Editorial Board is the staff editorial.