Book chapter
Challenges and initiatives in reducing food losses and waste: United States
Preventing food losses and waste to achieve food security and sustainability, pp 629-652
2019
Abstract
1 Introduction
The global production and consumption of food poses one of the greatest threats to our environmental resources and the planet's wildlife. Food production accounts for an estimated 70% of biodiversity loss (Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, 2014), 70% of blue freshwater withdrawal (FAO, 2011), 25-35% of greenhouse gas emissions (Tubiello et al., 2014), and 50% of soil erosion (Yadav, 2007). Despite the environmental cost, humans waste approximately one out of every three to four calories produced across the value chain from field to consumer. This food loss and waste (FLW) represents not only a squandering of environmental resources, but also results in nearly $1 trillion in economic losses (FAO, 2015),1 and an overall loss of calories and nutrients for all consumers, particularly food-insecure populations. It's estimated that the United States alone spends $218 billion a year, or 1.3% of GDP, growing, processing, and transporting food that is never eaten (ReFED, 2016a).
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Details
- Title
- Challenges and initiatives in reducing food losses and waste: United States
- Creators
- Leigh PrezkopAmanda StoneGregory A. BakerLisa K. JohnsonJonathan Deutsch
- Contributors
- Elhadi M. Yahia (Editor)
- Publication Details
- Preventing food losses and waste to achieve food security and sustainability, pp 629-652
- Publisher
- Burleigh Dodds Science Publishing
- Resource Type
- Book chapter
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Food and Hospitality Management
- Other Identifier
- 991021889046304721