14: Exploring Food Waste

Published: Jan. 11, 2021, 8 a.m.

Featured Coffee: Bee Coffee Roasters - Sweet Blue (Brazil)

One-third of all food produced globally for human consumption is wasted. Meanwhile, over 820 million people across the world are suffering from hunger. To add fuel to the fire, organic waste rotting in landfills releases copious amounts of methane accounting for 11% of all green house gas emissions coming from the food system. 

The United States leads the world—and not in a good way—wasting more food per capita than any other wealthy nation. It is time that food waste is taken more seriously both here in the U.S. and throughout the rest of world as we simultaneously work to end hunger and combat climate change.

To explore food waste, Ben and Aaron discuss why it is such a pressing issue, the history behind food waste in the U.S., and what other countries are doing to drastically reduce the amount of food they are wasting. The hosts conclude the episode by sharing with listeners what they can do on an individual level to cut down on how much food we are wasting on a daily basis. 

Resources for Listeners

Olio App

Love Your Leftovers App

How To Compost At Home

Find Your Local Food Bank

Sources

New York Times: Food Waste of the Pandemic

CBPP: Tracking the COVID-19 Recession’s Effects on Food, Housing, and Employment Hardships

WWF: Fight climate change by preventing food waste

RESET: Global Food Waste and its Environmental Impact

UN Food and Agriculture Organization: Food wastage - Key facts and figures

NRDC: Food Waste

NYC Food Policy Center: Food and Tech - Solutions to Recover and Redistribute Food Waste

U.S. News: U.S. Tops Rankings in Food Waste

Recycle Track Systems (RTS): Food Waste in America in 2020

EPA: Winning on Reducing Food Waste Federal Interagency Strategy

Utah State University: Digital Exhibits - History of Food Waste

For full source list and other content visit www.tweakedpodcast.com