Food Loss is a Growing Epidemic

Climate change and environment damage continues to manifest and still we are wasting approximately 58% of the food produced in Canada each year.  Annual global food loss is a far-reaching problem with fiscal, ethical and environment costs.

These 2 statements should not be taken lightly as they both are created due to mismanagement of our food chain. 

Food waste or food loss are commonly used terms but do not quite mean the same thing.  ‘Food Loss’ refers to food lost in earlier stages of production such as harvest, storage, and transportation.  ‘Food Waste’ refers to items that are fit for human consumption but thrown away, often at stores or by consumers.

Here are some situations that contribute to “Food Loss” and “Food Waste.”

• Farmers may wish to over plant to control losses in adverse weather and end up with a surplus if conditions are favourable.
• Retailers have set high aesthetic standards for fruits and vegetables meaning “non-perfect” produce might not even make it to the truck.
• In low-income countries, limitations in harvesting technology can result in damaged produce or poor yield.
• All-you-can eat buffets and buy-one-get one free deals, encourages wasted leftovers and over buying.
• Unfortunately, sometimes retailers overstock the shelves then waste occurs because food reaches it’s “sell-by” dates while still on the shelf.

The environmental impact of food waste is something that should not be ignored. Consider all the resources required to bring food from the farm to your table.  Some examples of these resources are water for irrigation, land for planting, fuel for harvest and transport.

Did you know that we use seventy percent of the earth’s most precious resource, fresh water for agricultural purposes? For example, 15,400 liters for just 1kilogram of beef and 125 liters to produce 1 apple.  This means throwing away any food unnecessarily aids in the poor management of freshwater.

Land is another of Earth’s valuable and limited commodities. Twenty-eight per cent of the world’s agricultural area is used to produce food that is ultimately lost or wasted each year. Not only does that result in unnecessary degradation of land but clearing land for agricultural purposes is also a cause of deforestation, which eliminates wildlife habitats and wipes out greenhouse-gas-absorbing trees.

The carbon footprint of food waste is 3.3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent per year. Not only are oil, diesel and other polluting fuels used to power production machinery and transport vehicles, but greenhouse gases are also emitted by food waste itself.

Because our population is expected to swell from 7.6 billion by 9.8 billion by 2050, we need to do something about this now.

We can start by sharing the surplus, turn waste into worth, educate consumers on food safety and preservation, and research and develop new green technologies that improve the food chain.  Some new green technologies may include ‘Gentle Processing™’?