Reducing Food Waste: One Way to Create a More Circular Society
By Olivia Merritt, Undergraduate at North Carolina State University
In the United States, food waste is prevalent. There is waste at every step of the food supply chain. On the fields, in the milling and packaging facilities, and with transportation, improper storage could lead to spoilage or insect damage. On the retail side this is also the case, along with differences between the supply and demand of foods, and culling “imperfect” food. Finally, at our level as consumers, we may over-buy and not cook that spinach before it spoils, or forget about the stir-fry leftovers in the fridge. These stages all need to be treated for food loss issues, but waste occurs most on the fields and when food reaches consumers. According to the USDA, “Waste can be avoided by improving product development, storage, shopping/ordering, marketing, labeling, and cooking methods.” In order to transition to a more circular society, sources of food waste need to be understood and then mitigated. Let’s break down a couple of food waste reduction ideas.
https://civileats.com/2018/10/03/food-waste-wars-the-imperfect-enemy-of-the-good/
“Imperfect food” has become a bit of a hot topic recently, with several start-ups being created to take imperfect produce from the farmer and sell them to consumers. While this sounds like a great solution to this side of food waste, there are some critics. One such critic, a crop scientist named Sarah Taber, notes that a lot of “ugly” produce gets cut up and is still used in the industry, or to feed livestock; a lot of produce that people think is wasted is, in fact, put to use. However, according to the food hierarchy model, shown below, it is less wasteful to feed people than to feed livestock and other animals. This debate about imperfect food is a good one, but the most important thing is that there is no food waste.
Another food waste source is the difference between food surplus and demand. A local company started by an NC State-alumna is called Fresh Spire, and it is tackling the supply-demand imbalance by connecting distributors to restaurants. Distributors with excess food connect with restaurants listed in the FreshSpire software that buy the excess ingredients. If the distributor is unable to find a buyer, then they are directed to a food bank or donation center as quickly as possible. This company offers a great solution to distribute food waste, and it was started right here in the Triangle!
This pyramid shows a significant pillar of circular economy: reducing waste at the source. Figuring out what to do with food waste is important, but the most important issue to tackle is preventing food waste in the first place--on the fields, during the transport, and in the home.
Finally, there is the food waste created by consumers. There are many ways to personally reduce food waste. The first is: make a shopping list and stick to it! If you plan out your meals and shopping list, it will help keep you from buying a random sweet potato that you end up not eating. Also, save some money and reduce waste by putting vegetable scraps like onion peels, pepper cores, and zucchini ends in a bag in the freezer. When the bag gets full, boiling these scraps with water makes delicious, homemade vegetable broth. These are a couple of simple solutions to reduce food waste in the home.
Food waste is a large and complex issue, but it can be broken down into categories and prevented at each one. Farmers can get more help with supply chain management to manage crop yields with less waste. Also, innovative startups like FreshSpire can help connect the supply-demand imbalance. Finally, we can do some small things to help reduce food waste in the home. All of these actions will reduce food waste and make the United States more circular.
Unless otherwise noted, this is the source of the article's information.
