U.S. Throws Away Half Its Food

While America has been long badged the “throw-away society”, it’s only recently that researchers from the University of Arizona have quantified what gets thrown aways as a percentage of what is produced. Astonishingly, a new study has found that forty to fifty percent of all food ready for harvest never gets eaten.

Timothy W. Jones, an anthropologist at the University of Arizona, has spent the last 10 years measuring food loss, examining farms and orchards, warehouses, retail outlets, dining rooms and landfills. What he found was that not only is edible food discarded that could feed people who need it, but the rate of loss, even partially corrected, could save U.S. consumers and corporations tens of billions of dollars each year.

Jones’ research evolved from earlier work done by University of Arizona archaeologists who began measuring garbage in the 1970s to see what was being thrown away and discovered that people were not fully aware of what they were using and discarding.

Today’s research seeks to understand not only the path food travels from farms and orchards to landfills, but also the culture and psychology behind the process.

Jones’ research shows that by measuring how much food is actually being brought into households, a clearer picture of that end of the food stream is beginning to emerge. On average, households waste 14 percent of their food purchases. Fifteen percent of that includes products still within their expiration date but never opened. Jones estimates an average family of four currently tosses out $590 per year in meat, fruits, vegetables and grain products. Nationwide, he says, household food waste alone adds up to $43 billion, making it a serious economic problem. Cutting food waste would also go a long way toward reducing serious environmental problems. Jones estimates that reducing food waste by half could reduce adverse environmental impacts by 25 percent through reduced landfill use, soil depletion and applications of fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides.

, ,

Comments are closed.

Premium Chinese Snack Food Ham Sausage  10pcs*600g/bag 双汇王中王火腿肠中国美食零食香肠 picture

Premium Chinese Snack Food Ham Sausage 10pcs*600g/bag 双汇王中王火腿肠中国美食零食香肠

$13.99



Natural Aquatic Turtle Food With Growth Formula pack of 2 15 Ounce (Pack 1)  picture

Natural Aquatic Turtle Food With Growth Formula pack of 2 15 Ounce (Pack 1)

$32.97



Novelty Food Keychains Charms Mini Brands picture

Novelty Food Keychains Charms Mini Brands

$5.00



Mini Keychain Seasonings Travel Size Food Lovers Seasonings 53 To Choose From picture

Mini Keychain Seasonings Travel Size Food Lovers Seasonings 53 To Choose From

$5.96



Fluker's Aquatic Turtle Diet, Food Pellets for Turtles, 8 8 Ounce (Pack of 1)  picture

Fluker's Aquatic Turtle Diet, Food Pellets for Turtles, 8 8 Ounce (Pack of 1)

$22.97



Zoo Med Aquatic Turtle Food Growth Formula 7.5 oz. 1 Count (Pack of 1), Brown  picture

Zoo Med Aquatic Turtle Food Growth Formula 7.5 oz. 1 Count (Pack of 1), Brown

$21.97



Food Wars Manga Volumes 1-36 Brand New Complete Set English Authentic Viz Media picture

Food Wars Manga Volumes 1-36 Brand New Complete Set English Authentic Viz Media

$325.00



2010 McDonald's Japan Food Strap Set of All 6 Type Limited Part1 Toy  picture

2010 McDonald's Japan Food Strap Set of All 6 Type Limited Part1 Toy

$61.27



Waffle House Food Hashbrown Potatoes Instant  3Lb 5Oz ( 53 Oz) picture

Waffle House Food Hashbrown Potatoes Instant 3Lb 5Oz ( 53 Oz)

$30.59



5 Food Themed Pin Set Walt Disney World Park Trading Pins ~ Brand New picture

5 Food Themed Pin Set Walt Disney World Park Trading Pins ~ Brand New

$11.49



Powered by WordPress. Designed by WooThemes