Having our food and eating our food
are not the same.
The
fall harvest season can bring to mind the ability of U.S. farmers to produce
abundant supplies of safe, wholesome foods. Additionally, shopping at the
market I see aisles stacked from floor to nearly the ceiling with seemingly
endless choices of food. However, let’s remember having all this food available
to us does not mean we are being effective consumers.
Food
loss and food waste are
becoming increasingly important issues as the world’s population grows and
significantly increases pressure on agricultural land and other necessary
resources. Recently, USDA, Economic Research Service (ERS) researchers calculated
that at the consumer level, 31% of food available for human consumption in the
United States in 2010 was not eaten. At 2010 retail prices, this translates
into $161.6 billion worth of food. Think of the economic and social losses from
this waste. It is important to note that some food loss is unavoidable as we
seek to provide an affordable, diverse, and safe food supply. Identifying
how much and where food loss occurs
in the food system is the first step in efforts to reduce food waste.
 |
| Between the farm and our plate - much food can be lost. |
On
a per person basis, 290 pounds, or 0.8 pounds per day, of food was wasted in
2010. This is valued at $371, or 9% of the $4,016 average amount spent on food
per person in 2010. Meat, poultry, and fish; vegetables; and dairy products
accounted for most of this annual loss.
As
we consider the value of the food we have and how to adequately feed everyone,
perhaps we can try to minimize the waste we generate ourselves. By more effectively utilizing the resources
necessary to feed
ourselves we may be able do a better job of feeding others. Awareness of the scope
and sources of food loss will likely result in new government policies,
enhanced food-handling practices and technologies, behavioral changes among
consumers, or other actions that reduce food waste and conserve resources.
This article is based on information
in: Food Availability (Per Capita) Data
System, by Jeanine Bentley and Jean Buzby, writers for the USDA, Economic
Research Service, and published November 2012.
