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Ncl food waste white paper
- 1. WASTED: SOLUTIONS TO THE AMERICAN FOOD WASTE PROBLEM A National Consumers League White Paper examining challenges and solutions for American food waste. Prepared by Kelsey Albright Linda Golodner Food Safety and Nutrition Fellow National Consumers League INTRODUCTION More than one billion people, or one sixth of the worldâs population, suffer from chronic hunger.1 In the United States alone, 49 million people experienced food insecurity in 2012.2 While millions struggle to put food on the table, others live in a very different world where food excess and overindulgence are more common. Against this backdrop is the shocking reality that a quarter to a third of all food produced goes to waste.3 Food waste is a component of food loss, or the amount of edible food not consumed post-Ââ harvest for any reason. These reasons range from natural shrinkage or loss from mold, inadequate climate control and pests.4 This whitepaper will examine the scope of the problem in America, evaluate strategies for reducing food waste, and offer suggestions for proper disposal of uneaten food for individual consumers and for restaurants, cafeterias, and grocery stores selling to the public. When food is wasted, so are many other resources that go into producing food. To feed one person for a year, it takes four hundred gallons of oil. Oil, water, land and topsoil are all squandered growing food that ultimately goes uneaten. Food waste creates an artificially © National Consumers League 2014 1
- 2. high demand for food, and unnecessary use of resources. Farms get government subsidies to hedge their risk, ultimately costing consumers in higher taxes. The relatively low cost of food in US and the developed world today drives a trend toward undervaluing this precious resource. Food waste, as defined by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, is the loss of food material that was once edible, but goes unconsumed.5 Food left behind on consumersâ plates is a prime example. American consumers waste more food than producers, transporters, or retail establishments.6 Food waste not only costs money, as consumers and businesses pay for food that will go unused, but it has dire environmental effects. It takes resources â water, energy, land â to produce, package, and transport food from farm to fork. When food waste ends up in landfills instead of being composted, more methane is produced, and valuable nutrients that could be turned into topsoil and used to grow more food, are lost. So why is food waste in America so common? Consumer attitudes towards food have evolved as our connections to farming and the production of food have weakened. Consumers are lured to purchasing larger portions or more produce through seductive deals. Americans have come to expect perfect looking produce and regard food today as an abundant luxury instead of a scarce commodity. Generations growing up in a world of overabundance do not see our current food consumption and waste habits as unsustainable. Consumers ultimately hold the power to reduce their food waste, but in order for that to happen there must be a shift in attitude about the value of food. THE PROBLEM Global Food Waste Food waste is a global crisis. As the world population continues to grow, so will hunger and the amount of food required to feed larger populations. The majority of hunger on earth is concentrated in developing countries leading them to be most affected by unsustainable agricultural and consumption practices. Developing countries waste less food than developed ones. Fifty six percent of food and waste occurs in the developed world whereas 44 percent takes place in developing regions.7 Total food waste in the developed world amounts to 750 to 1,500 calories per person per day. In the developing world, that number is far lower, 400 to 500 calories per person per day.8 Food loss in developing regions typically happens during the production and transportation stages in the supply chain, caused by a lack of advanced harvesting and © National Consumers League 2014 2
- 3. transportation techniques. Farmers face unique challenges in developing nations. Crops can be damaged in the fields by insects, disease, or inclement weather and unable to be harvested timely because of inefficient equipment. Trucks lacking refrigeration may be used to transport produce, leading to spoilage in warmer climates. In the developed world, consumers, not producers, are responsible for the majority of food waste. Worldwide, 35 percent of waste takes place at the consumption stage, making consumers accountable for the largest portion of waste. Both the production and storage stages are each responsible for 24 percent of wasted food throughout the food value chain.9 Consumers play a key role in the reduction of food waste globally, however the figures are lopsided. American consumers waste ten times more food than those in southeastern Asia.10 Citizens of developed nations have the greatest opportunity to have an impact. Food waste in the United States Forty percent of food in the United States goes uneaten11 -Ââ-Ââa troubling fact, especially as six in ten Americans know someone who has recently struggled to buy food.12 As the country with the seventh richest country, food and other commodities are readily available to many Americans.13 American consumers spend a meager 6 percent of their total household expenditures on food.14 Thatâs less than any nation on earth. In 1982, Americans spent more than 12 percent of their money on food.15 The abundance and low price of food are the two most salient factors in consumerâs lack of value for food. It wasnât always this way. Food waste is a phenomenon that increased with the rise in industrial farming. As food became cheaper and more abundant, consumers became less involved with its production. Since the 1970s, food waste has increased by 50 percent.16 Between $1,350-Ââ$2,275 of food is thrown out each year by a family of four.17 Even if wasting food doesnât bother consumers, wasting money might. Yet, many consumers donât realize the amount of food or money they waste. According to a public opinion poll released by Sustainable America, respondents believe they personally waste significantly less food, on average, than other American families.18 Environmental Impacts of Food Waste Wasted food costs precious resources like water, energy and land. Producing food takes up 51 percent of our land; thatâs 1.17 billion acres of land requiring irrigation and depleting top soil.19 Food production in the U.S. also takes up 10 percent of our energy supply,20 and globally, food waste accounts for more than a quarter of total freshwater consumption. Perhaps the most valuable resource wasted when we throw away food is oil. Eighteen million barrels of oil are used every day in the United States. The U.S. represents less than © National Consumers League 2014 3
- 4. 5 percent of the worldâs population, and yet we use 20 percent of the global oil supply.21 We also produce a quarter of global greenhouse gas emissions.22 Four hundred gallons of oil are needed to feed just one person for a year.23 Gas fuels the farm equipment used to harvest, the tractor trailers that deliver food, and the garbage trucks used to cart food waste to the landfill. Eighty percent of Americans live in cities, meaning that trucks must transport the wasted food to landfills far away.24 Oil is used all along the food supply chain. Once food waste reaches the landfill, the negative environmental effects continue. Food decomposes in landfills, producing methane, the second-Ââmost produced greenhouse gas after carbon dioxide, with 20 times the greenhouse gas effect of carbon dioxide.25 According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 18 percent of methane emissions in the U.S. come from landfills.26 The UK estimates that if food waste were removed from landfills there, greenhouse gas reduction would be equivalent to removing one in four cars from the road.27 Why we Waste Food Despite being responsible for the largest percentage, most consumers are opposed to wasting food. In a survey done by The Food Waste Project, 94.6 percent of respondents were concerned about the environmental and financial impact of food waste,28 Why, then, do Americans fail to act? A combination of factors are at play. Grocery stores and food retailers usually want to sell more food. The sheer availability of food discourages waste reducing habits. Many Americans also lack the education, resources and motivation to properly interpret expiration date labels, plan meals, store foods and compost scraps. Not only do grocery stores and retailers waste food themselves, but some of their policies facilitate consumer waste. Over-Ââbuying is promoted with buyâone-Ââget-Ââone-Ââfree deals and other incentives, like coupons, encouraging consumers to purchase more food than they need. The drive to find deals, save money and ultimately over-Ââpurchase may be perpetuated by reality TV shows like âExtreme Couponingâ. Entertainment stimulates our societal attitude to seek ever more. Grocery stores are conveniently set up to prompt unnecessary impulse buys which may ultimately wind up as food waste. Bulk packaging tends to be more cost effective for consumers, but what most consumers donât realize is that they often lose money because some of the food goes bad before they get a chance to eat it. Grocery stores arenât solely to blame for their poor food waste behaviors; many are driven by consumer demands. For example, grocery stores make a point of stocking only the most attractive produce, while less than perfect produce may be discarded. Grocery stores would like to sell all produce, not the just the food with no blemishes, but donât feel it will move. Store displays can be over packed leading to food waste as fragile produce is easily © National Consumers League 2014 4
- 5. damaged. This also hurts profits. Not only do overstocked displays lead to waste but prepared foods, which are constantly made throughout the day, must be thrown away at closing as they might be a food safety hazard. Waste also drives up the cost of producing food through a vicious cycle: artificially increased the demand for food leads to farmers growing more, depleting soil, and using excess fertilizer, pesticides, and fuel for machinery, and irrigation â all of which come at a cost. Our government also spends billions of dollars every year to support farmers through subsidies. Since farmers are producing more food than is actually consumed, these subsidies are a hidden cost to taxpayers.29 The subsidy program helps reduce food costs â though we pay in other ways â causing the average consumer to spend just 6 percent of their income on food. Since we today spend such a small percentage of overall expenses on food, we subconsciously diminish its value. Undervaluing food leads to poor meal planning. Consumers who go to the store without a grocery list spend 40 percent more as a result of over-Ââbuying.30 Once food is home, it becomes easy to lose track of it. Poor visibility in the fridge and improper storage of produce contributes to unnecessary waste. Misinterpretation of the various expiration/use by/sell by dates is also problematic as consumers toss food thinking it has expired when in reality it is safe to consume. On the environmental front, consumers could be doing more to reduce the impact of food waste. Widespread composting of food waste would have a huge environmental impact but it would require a major legislative and educational effort. According to a survey conducted by National Waste & Recycling Association, 72 percent of Americans do not compost their food waste; however, 67 percent would be willing to do so if it was convenient in their community.31 San Francisco, CA and Portland, OR have government run compost programs with bins provided for food scraps or other biodegradable material. Other cities will likely follow their lead if given a roadmap to do so; Washington DC recently enacted a bill creating composing pilot projects in designated parts of the city. Most cities also lack incentives to minimize trash. A flat rate fee, for example, provides no reward to consumers who produce less waste. Benefits to Reducing Waste Food should be valued as a life-Ââsaving commodity at a time when more than a billion people are going hungry and 49 million of them are in our country. While hunger wonât go away if we reduce food waste, changing consumer attitudes about the value of food would still have a profound effect. As a planet, we produce sufficient food to provide 2,700 kilocalories every day for every person.32 However, in America alone, one © National Consumers League 2014 5
- 6. in six people lacks a secure food supply, i.e., they donât know where their next meal will come from. If food waste were reduced by only 15 percent, these savings could be redistributed to 25 million hungry Americans each year. Thatâs half of all Americans that are currently food insecure.33 Many grassroots and grasstops efforts exist to relocate food from retailers, restaurants, and even consumers to soup kitchens or food banks. Food Shift34 and Food Recovery Network35 are two campaigns that focus on relocating uneaten food and increasing consciousness about food waste. While these are laudable campaigns, this issue needs to be addressed globally by all of its stakeholders including industry, retailers, restaurants, and consumers. In North America and Oceania, 61 percent of wasted calories each day are wasted by consumers.36 In America, 31 percent of all food available for consumption at the retail and consumer levels went uneaten.37 Consumers could be far more empowered by government, industry, and through education to minimize food waste. If the ethical or environmental implications of minimizing food waste arenât convincing enough, perhaps the monetary benefits would be. As a nation, the U.S. throws away $165 billion in uneaten food each year.38 While many Americans are aware they are wasting money on uneaten food, few know the extent to which this occurs. To repeat, a family of four could have $1,350-Ââ$2,275 back in their bank account each year if they recouped the money lost by throwing out food. 39 Itâs impossible to avoid all waste as some parts of food are simply inedible. Investigating best disposal practices of inedible waste by producing the least negative environmental effects is another step toward minimizing the problem. Anaerobic digestion is an interesting alternative, which some cities, including New York, are using to harness energy from methane.40 This process is the breaking down of biodegradable materials by microorganisms to produce biogas which is then combusted to produce energy. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that if 50 percent of the food waste generated each year in the U.S. were anaerobically digested, enough electricity would be generated to power 2.5 million homes for a year.41 One of the many precious resources we deplete when growing crops is topsoil. It takes hundreds of years to create one inch of topsoil. In this country we deplete topsoil ten times faster than we can replace.42 Reducing waste wouldnât replenish topsoil in the near future as damage has already been done, but it would slow the demand for more farmland. Composting food scraps also creates enriched soil, which can be used to grow new crops, further slowing our rate of topsoil depletion. © National Consumers League 2014 6
- 7. HOW TO MINIMIZE FOOD WASTE: THE NEED FOR A CULTURAL SHIFT Working with Retailers to Minimize Food Waste Enabling Actions Reducing consumer food waste requires a multifaceted approach. Retailers have a large role to play in this effort. The âbuy one get one freeâ deals used to encourage a consumer to purchase a certain brand or product must be reconsidered. Replacing these deals with âbuy one get one laterâ or âbuy one get one donatedâ deals still provides the incentive that companies are seeking but reduces over-Ââpurchasing, minimizing waste. Secondly, instead of rejecting fruit that is unattractive or about to go bad, grocers should join the small but growing movement to repurpose it. Providing visually unappealing but perfectly edible produce prevents food from being tossed in the trash and saves money for retails who already operate on razor thin profit margins. Another option, one that is used in selling highly perishable meat, is marking down the price of food that is going to expire, or reach itâs sell by date soon. Lowering prices is also a good option for selling less attractive produce. Having a small section of the grocery store devoted to soon-Ââto-Ââexpire foods saves retailers money by selling foods that may have otherwise been overlooked. It also serves shoppers who canât afford to buy some of these foods at full price. Retailers can also practice and promote regional food recovery, or the transferring of food from retail establishments to charities that will locate people in need. Grocery stores already do â but should increase partnerships with local grassroots initiatives that repurpose and relocate foods. Providing tax breaks to retailers who donate is a key way to incentivize food waste reduction efforts. Restaurants similarly can assist in reducing consumer waste. Serving smaller portion sizes or encouraging customers to take home leftovers is a first step. Restaurants, especially casual, serve-Ââyourself establishments, should also provide areas where consumers can scrape food scraps into a bin for composting. Setting standards also provides recognition for companies, restaurants, and retailers that operate with little to no food waste. Third-Ââparty accreditation that recognizes establishments minimizing food waste can draw customer attention and support and generate competition for minimizing waste. Change Consumer Attitudes Surrounding Food Waste Changing consumer attitudes about food is key. Conserving food used to be a cultural norm. Older Americans lived through eras of food scarcity but that experience hasnât been © National Consumers League 2014 7
- 8. common for many generations. Conversations surrounding food waste must be generated. Educating consumers about how it is grown and processed could change value perceptions. Education may also lead to an interest and desire to learn more about how food is produced, which in turn could increase awareness around consumersâ use and handling of food. For example, consumers may avoid blemished produce unnecessarily. Valuing food is only the first step. Once consumers are educated about food waste, they must be provided tools to assist change in their actions. Information about proper storage of various types of perishable food and an estimate of how long food should last is a good starting point. Grocery stores or organizations that provide this information should encourage freezing foods that might otherwise go bad. Meal planning and shopping with grocery lists are other ways to reduce overbuying and consequently waste. Finally, clarifying date labels, or the labels placed on packaging to indicate peak freshness, is key. Such labels often read âSell byâ, âBest byâ or âUse byâ followed by a date. A result of a push for more transparent labeling in the 1970s, the labels rarely indicate the date at which a food becomes unsafe to eat and are instead indicators of peak freshness.43 Not only are such labels misleading consumers about the safety of a food, which leads to unnecessary waste, but they lack uniformity. Food date labeling was never a priority for Congress. States and local governments thus adopted their own labeling laws. To this day there exists only a patchwork of date labels with different meanings, making it more difficult for consumers to identify foods which foods are safe or unsafe to consume. The only federally regulated food dated product is baby formula because potency and nutrients are lost over time. Federally regulated date labels, in conjunction with an education campaign about how to properly read and apply them, are sorely needed. It would be enormously useful to clarify what the existing date labels mean. In conjunction with educating consumers about how to identify spoiled foods and directing them to resources that aid with such decision making, this large gap in understanding the safety of foods needs to be addressed. Public education campaigns in Europe have already proven successful. The United Kingdom has created the âLove Food, Hate Wasteâ campaign.44 The European Union has implemented a program called FUSIONS to help meet their goal of reducing food waste 50 percent by 2020.45 Both of these programs have had great success, demonstrating that a similar public education campaign could and should be launched in the US. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has launched the Food Recovery Challenge works to minimize food waste at every opportunity along its lifecycle.46 The program seeks organizations and businesses participation by preventing food waste, donating what food wonât be used and properly recycling what waste does exist. A consumer tool kit is © National Consumers League 2014 8
- 9. currently in works to be used in conjunction with the program. But sadly few Americans know about the program. Additionally, the EPA and the U.S. Department of Agriculture have a joint program called the U.S. Food Waste Challenge.47 The purpose of the challenge is to motivate communities, manufacturers, retailers, processors, producers, and other government agencies, to reduce their waste, recover good food for consumption, and recycle food scraps through composting. The back end of the program works to minimize legal barriers to properly disposing of food waste. These programs are a step in the right direction, but they cannot alone address the issue. Engaging consumers through government and industry efforts is vital. Educate Consumers about Environmental Action Heightening consumer awareness about the environmental impact of food waste is the final step to initiating food attitude shifts. Not only does composting reduce the waste consumers generate, but it also reduces the amount of methane produced in garbage dumps. Many Americans live in cities where composting can be difficult, so creative composting methods, like vermicomposting which uses worms and a tray system, may be a good option. Municipal efforts to incentivize composting at apartment complexes and condominiums play a big role in promoting consumer action. City-Ââprovided composting bins modeled after San Francisco, Portland, and Seattle are successful model composting programs that need to be expanded. Municipalities must broaden adoption of waste collection fees based on weight or other quantified amounts, instead of a flat rate fee. Paying for waste removal by the bag or pound alongside a robust composting program motivates consumers to minimize their waste. CONCLUSION The effort to reduce food waste is a win for every American. For all of these reasons -Ââ environmental, ethical, financial, and health reasons, there is no better time for launching a robust nationwide campaign. The National Consumers League intends to promote the cause by convening experts in the food waste field for a conference evaluating how best to reduce consumer food waste. With six in ten Americans personally knowing someone who struggles to put food on the table, it makes no sense that Americans waste so much food. It begins with a consciousness about where our food comes, an understanding that food is not an infinite commodity and the desire to take the many steps needed to reduce © National Consumers League 2014 9
- 10. Americaâs massive food waste problem. Consumers, industry, and government in the United States need a ten year plan â much like what the United Kingdom has done â to set ambitious goals to reduce food waste. In that spirit, NCL recommends that the US embark on a vigorous effort to reduce food waste by 20-Ââ25% in five to ten years and invite partners in our quest to reach this ambitious goal. 1 Business for Social Responsibility. (March 2011). Waste Not, Want Not: An Overview of Food Waste. Retrieved from http://www.bsr.org/reports/BSR_Waste_Not_Want_Not_An_Overview_Food_Waste.pdf 2 U.S. Department of Agriculture. Food Security in the U.S.: Key Statistics &Graphics. Retrieved from http://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/food-Âânutrition-Ââassistance/food-Ââsecurity-Ââin-Ââthe-Ââus/key-Ââstatistics-Ââ graphics.aspx#insecure 3 Cuesta, Jose. (2014, February 27). Food Waste: Doing the Math. Retrieved from http://blogs.worldbank.org/voices/food-Ââwaste-Ââdoing-Ââmath 4 Buzby, Jean C., Wells, Hondan F., Hayman, Jeffery. (February 2014). The Estimated Amount, Value, and Calories of Postharvest Food Losses at the Retail and Consumer Levels in the United States. Retrieved from http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/eib-Ââeconomic-Ââinformation-Ââbulletin/eib121.aspx#.U6hPWfldWuo 5Gustavsson, J., Cederberg, C., Sonesson, U. van Otterdijk, R., Meybeck, A., (2011). Global Food Losses and Food Waste. Retrieved from http://www.fao.org/fileadmin/user_upload/suistainability/pdf/Global_Food_Losses_and_Food_Waste.pdf 6 Gunders, Dana. (August 2012). Wasted: How America Is Losing Up to 40 Percent of Its Food from Farm to Fork to Landfill. Retrieved from http://www.nrdc.org/food/files/wasted-Ââfood-Ââip.pdf 7The World Bank Group. (February 2014). Food Price Watch. Retrieved from http://www.worldbank.org/content/dam/Worldbank/document/Poverty%20documents/FPW%20Feb%202014%2 0final.pdf 8The World Bank Group. (February 2014). Food Price Watch. Retrieved from http://www.worldbank.org/content/dam/Worldbank/document/Poverty%20documents/FPW%20Feb%202014%2 0final.pdf 9The World Bank Group. (February 2014). Food Price Watch. Retrieved from http://www.worldbank.org/content/dam/Worldbank/document/Poverty%20documents/FPW%20Feb%202014%2 0final.pdf 10Gustavsson, J., Cederberg, C., Sonesson, U. van Otterdijk, R., Meybeck, A., (2011). Global Food Losses and Food Waste. Retrieved from http://www.fao.org/docrep/014/mb060e/mb060e.pdf 11 Hall, K. D., Guo, J., Dore, M., Chow, C. C. (November 2009). The Progressive Increase of Food Waste in America and Its Environmental Impact. Retrieved from http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0007940 12 Sustainable America. (March 2013). Food/Fuel Public Poll. Retrieved from http://www.sustainableamerica.org/downloads/presentations/SustainableAmericaFinalDeck.pdf 13Greenfield, Beth. (2012, February 22). The Worldâs Richest Countries. Forbes. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/bethgreenfield/2012/02/22/the-Ââworlds-Âârichest-Ââcountries/ 14 Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. (2012). Annual Letter 2012. Retireved from http://www.gatesfoundation.org/who-Ââwe-Ââare/resources-Ââand-Ââmedia/annual-Ââletters-Ââlist/annual-Ââletter-Ââ2012 15 New, Catherine. (June 2012) Americans Spending Less Money On Groceries, But Greater Share Of It On Processed Food. The Huffington Post. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/12/american-Ââ money-Ââgroceries-Ââprocessed-Ââfood_n_1587981.html © National Consumers League 2014 10
- 11. 16 Hall, K. D., Guo, J., Dore, M., Chow, C. C. (November 2009). The Progressive Increase of Food Waste in America and Its Environmental Impact. Retrieved from http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0007940 17 Bloom, J. (2012). American Wasteland: How America Throws Away Nearly Half of Its Food (and What We Can Do About It). Cambridge, MA: Perseus Books Group. 18 Sustainable America. (March 2013). Food/Fuel Public Poll. Retrieved from http://www.sustainableamerica.org/downloads/presentations/SustainableAmericaFinalDeck.pdf 19(August, 2012). Agricultural Resources and Environmental Indicators, 2012 Retrieved from http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/eib-Ââeconomic-Ââinformation-Ââbulletin/eib98.aspx#.U16POPldWuo 20 Heller, M. C., & Keoleian, G. A. (December 2000). Life Cycle-ÂâBased Sustainability Indicators for Assessment of the U.S. Food System Retrieved from http://css.snre.umich.edu/css_doc/CSS00-Ââ04.pdf 21 http://www.sustainableamerica.org/#sthash.SAJjrojn.dpuf 22 Bloom, J. (2012). American Wasteland: How America Throws Away Nearly Half of Its Food (and What We Can Do About It). Cambridge, MA: Perseus Books Group. 23 Pimentel, D., (1994). Food, Land, Population and the U,S, Economy. Retrieved from http://www.jayhanson.us/page40.htm 24 Sustainable America. (November 2013). Infographic: Grow Where You Are. Retrieved from http://www.sustainableamerica.org/blog/infographic-Ââgrow-Ââwhere-Ââyou-Ââare/ 25 (March 2014). Climate Action Plant Strategy to Reduce Methane Emissions. Retrieved from http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/strategy_to_reduce_methane_emissions_2014-Ââ03-Ââ28_final.pdf 26 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Overview of Greenhouse Gases. Retrieved from http://epa.gov/climatechange/ghgemissions/gases/ch4.html 27 Love Food, Hate Waste. The Facts About Food Waste. Retrieved from http://england.lovefoodhatewaste.com/content/facts-Ââabout-Ââfood-Ââwaste-Ââ1 28 The Food Waste Project. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.bren.ucsb.edu/research/2013Group_Projects/documents/FoodWasteBriefFINAL.pdf 29 Smith, V. H. (2013, July 17). The 2013 Farm Bill: Limiting Waste by Limiting Farm-ÂâSubsidy Budgets. Retrieved from: http://mercatus.org/publication/bloated-Ââfarm-Ââsubsidies-Ââwill-Ââ2013-Ââfarm-Ââbill-Ââreally-Ââcut-Ââfat 30 Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service. Dining on a Dime, Eating Better for Less. Retrieved from http://www.ksre.ksu.edu/humannutrition/doc9928.ashx 31 About Backyard Composting: By the numbers-Ââ a national survey on composting. Retrieved from: http://beginwiththebin.org/being-Ââmindful/composting. 32 Cuesta, Jose. (2014, February 27). Food Waste: Doing the Math. Retrieved from http://blogs.worldbank.org/voices/food-Ââwaste-Ââdoing-Ââmath 33 U.S. Department of Agriculture. Food Security in the U.S.: Key Statistics &Graphics. Retrieved from http://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/food-Âânutrition-Ââassistance/food-Ââsecurity-Ââin-Ââthe-Ââus/key-Ââstatistics-Ââ graphics.aspx#insecure 34 http://foodshift.net/ 35 http://www.foodrecoverynetwork.org/ 36 Cuesta, Jose. (2014, February 27). Food Waste: Doing the Math. Retrieved from http://blogs.worldbank.org/voices/food-Ââwaste-Ââdoing-Ââmath 37 37 Buzby, Jean C., Wells, Hondan F., Hayman, Jeffery. (February 2014). The Estimated Amount, Value, and Calories of Postharvest Food Losses at the Retail and Consumer Levels in the United States. Retrieved from http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/eib-Ââeconomic-Ââinformation-Ââbulletin/eib121.aspx#.U6hPWfldWuo 38Natural Resources Defense Council. (August 2012). New Report: America Trashes Forty Percent of Food Supply. http://www.nrdc.org/media/2012/120821.asp?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Fee d%3A+NRDCPressReleases+%28NRDC+Press+Releases%29 39 Bloom, J. (2012). American Wasteland: How America Throws Away Nearly Half of Its Food (and What We Can Do About It). Cambridge, MA: Perseus Books Group. © National Consumers League 2014 11
- 12. 40 Rose, Joel. (2014, March 11). Turning Food Waste Into Fuel Takes Gumption And Trillions Of Bacteria. National Public Radio. Retrieved from http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2014/03/11/287310897/turning-Ââfood-Ââwaste-Ââinto-Ââ fuel-Ââtakes-Ââgumption-Ââand-Ââtrillions-Ââof-Ââbacteria 41 U.S. Department of Labor. U.S. Food Waste Challenge. Retrieved from http://www.usda.gov/oce/foodwaste/resources/recycle.htm 42 Bloom, J. (2012). American Wasteland: How America Throws Away Nearly Half of Its Food (and What We Can Do About It). Cambridge, MA: Perseus Books Group. 43 Leib, E., B., (September, 2013). The Dating Game: How Confusing Food Date Labels Lead to Food Waste in America. Retrieved from: http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/foodpolicyinitiative/files/2013/09/dating-Ââgame-Ââreport.pdf 44 Retrieved from: http://england.lovefoodhatewaste.com/ 45 Retrieved from: http://www.wrap.org.uk/content/reducing-Ââfood-Ââwaste-Ââeurope 46 Retrieved from: http://www.epa.gov/smm/foodrecovery/ 47 Retrieved from: http://www.usda.gov/oce/foodwaste/index.htm © National Consumers League 2014 12