Food Waste: The Hidden Cost of the Food We Throw Out I ClimateScience #9

ClimateScience - Solve Climate Change
7 Aug 202104:53
EducationalLearning
32 Likes 10 Comments

TLDRGlobally, 30% of food is lost or wasted, contributing to 8-10% of greenhouse gas emissions and squandering vast resources like land and water. The main causes vary by country, with wealthier nations facing consumer-driven waste, while lower-income countries struggle with inadequate infrastructure. Solutions include improving soil quality, utilizing natural interactions in agriculture, enhancing storage and transport, embracing 'ugly' foods, and changing consumer behaviors to reduce waste and its environmental impact.

Takeaways
  • 🌏 Globally, 30% of food is lost or wasted, which equates to 614 kcal per person daily, a significant amount comparable to 10 medium eggs or 21 large carrots.
  • 🌱 Food loss and waste have a substantial environmental impact, with 1.4 billion hectares of land and 250 km³ of water wasted annually, equivalent to the land area of Canada and India combined and enough water to fill 100 million Olympic pools.
  • 🌡️ Food waste contributes to 8-10% of global greenhouse gas emissions, including emissions from production, transportation, and the decomposition of rotting food.
  • 🌾 Despite the abundance of food waste, in 2019, nearly 1 in 10 people worldwide faced severe food insecurity, highlighting the paradox of waste and hunger.
  • 🔄 Reducing food loss and waste by 50% could provide enough food to feed those suffering from food insecurity and more, emphasizing the potential of waste reduction.
  • 🛒 In wealthier countries, over 40% of food loss and waste occur at the retail and consumer stages due to consumer behavior and oversupply.
  • 🛣️ In lower-income countries, food losses mainly occur early in the supply chain due to poor harvesting techniques, insufficient storage, and inadequate infrastructure for transport and marketing.
  • 🌱 Improving soil quality and utilizing natural interactions in agriculture can enhance crop yields and reduce waste, while also reducing reliance on artificial fertilizers.
  • 🛠️ Providing effective harvesting technologies to farmers can minimize food loss during the harvesting process, which is often due to damage or spillage.
  • 🏪 Improving storage facilities and transport infrastructure, especially refrigeration, can significantly reduce food spoilage and loss, with a potential 25% reduction if lower-income countries had the same access as richer nations.
  • 🔄 Developing low-cost, off-grid solutions for food preservation, such as mobile solar-powered storage, can help reduce losses in areas with limited access to electricity.
  • 🍽️ Changing retailer and consumer behaviors, such as embracing 'ugly' foods and reducing portion sizes, can lead to less food waste and better resource management.
  • 📋 As an individual, planning meals, using leftovers, and proper food storage can minimize food waste at the household level and extend the freshness of food.
Q & A

  • What percentage of food is lost or wasted worldwide on average per person per day?

    -On average, 30% of food is lost or wasted worldwide, which equates to 614 kcal per person every single day.

  • How does food loss and waste relate to climate change?

    -Food loss and waste contribute to climate change by wasting the resources used in food production, such as land and water, and by generating 8-10% of global greenhouse gas emissions from production, transportation, and the decomposition of wasted food.

  • What are the approximate land and water resources wasted due to food loss and waste annually?

    -Globally, food loss and waste account for 1.4 billion hectares of wasted land and 250 km³ of wasted water each year.

  • How does the impact of food loss and waste on greenhouse gas emissions compare to other sources?

    -Food loss and waste are responsible for 8-10% of global greenhouse gas emissions, making it a significant contributor to climate change.

  • What was the state of global food insecurity in 2019?

    -In 2019, nearly 1 in 10 people around the world were exposed to severe food insecurity.

  • How could reducing food loss and waste impact global food security?

    -Reducing food loss and waste by just 50% could provide enough food to feed all those suffering from severe food insecurity and more.

  • Where do food losses primarily occur in wealthier countries?

    -In wealthier countries, more than 40% of food loss and waste happen at the retail and consumer stages, mainly due to consumer behavior and oversupply.

  • What are the main causes of food losses in lower-income countries?

    -In lower-income countries, food losses mostly occur earlier in the supply chain due to poor harvesting techniques, insufficient storage and cooling facilities, and a lack of infrastructure for food transport and marketing.

  • What can be done to reduce food losses on the farm?

    -Improving soil quality, exploiting natural interactions between plants and their environment, and providing farmers with effective harvesting technologies can reduce food losses on the farm.

  • How can storage and transport infrastructure improvements help reduce food loss in lower-income countries?

    -Improving storage facilities and transport infrastructure can significantly reduce food losses. For instance, if lower-income countries had the same access to refrigeration as richer nations, food losses could be reduced by 25%.

  • What are some consumer behaviors that can help reduce food waste?

    -Consumers can reduce food waste by planning meals and buying only what is needed, cooking with leftovers, using freezers to extend food freshness, and embracing 'ugly' but edible foods.

  • What role can retailers and restaurants play in reducing food waste?

    -Retailers and restaurants can reduce waste by selling food in appropriate portions, not discarding imperfect but edible food, and donating uneaten goods to those in need.

  • What is the importance of being aware of the impacts of food waste on an individual level?

    -Individual awareness of the impacts of food waste is vital as consumer-level waste is likely to increase with global wealth, and understanding these impacts can motivate actions to make a positive difference.

Outlines
00:00
🍽️ Global Food Waste and Its Impact

This paragraph highlights the shocking statistic that 30% of food worldwide is lost or wasted, equating to 614 kcal per person daily. It emphasizes the connection between food waste and climate change, noting that wasted food leads to squandered resources such as land and water, and contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions. The paragraph also points out the irony of food insecurity persisting amidst such waste and suggests that reducing food loss by half could alleviate this issue. It distinguishes between the causes of food waste in wealthier and lower-income countries, attributing it to consumer behavior and supply-demand imbalance in the former, and to poor infrastructure and techniques in the latter.

🌱 Solutions at the Farm Level

The second paragraph focuses on addressing food waste at its source by improving conditions on the farm. It discusses the significant loss of crops due to sub-optimal growing conditions and the degradation of global soil quality. The paragraph suggests enhancing soil health and utilizing natural ecological interactions to boost crop yields and reduce waste. It also stresses the importance of providing farmers with effective harvesting technologies to minimize losses during the harvesting process.

🏚️ Improving Storage and Infrastructure

This paragraph delves into the issue of food spoilage due to inadequate storage conditions, particularly in lower-income countries. It proposes that improving storage facilities and transport infrastructure could substantially reduce food loss. The paragraph suggests developing low-cost, off-grid solutions for food preservation, such as mobile solar-powered storage units, and considers the role of food processing and durable packaging in preventing spoilage throughout the supply chain.

🛒 Changing Retailer and Consumer Behaviors

The fourth paragraph addresses the need for a change in behaviors at the retailer and consumer levels to reduce food waste. It criticizes supermarkets for high aesthetic standards that lead to the discarding of edible but 'imperfect' food. The paragraph advocates embracing these foods to reduce waste and suggests that restaurants, retailers, and caterers can minimize waste by portioning food appropriately and donating uneaten items. It also touches on the importance of consumer awareness and proper food storage practices.

🌐 Individual Actions and Global Awareness

The final paragraph emphasizes the role of individual actions in combating food waste. It encourages planning meals to purchase only necessary items, cooking with leftovers, and using freezers for longer food preservation. The paragraph also stresses the importance of being knowledgeable about food storage and safety beyond expiration dates. It concludes with a call for increased awareness of the impacts of food waste and the individual's role in making a difference, ending with a prompt for viewers to subscribe for more content.

Mindmap
Keywords
💡Food loss and waste
Food loss and waste refer to the discarding of food items at any point in the supply chain, from production to consumption. In the video, it is highlighted as a global issue with significant environmental and social implications, contributing to 8-10% of global greenhouse gas emissions and accounting for a vast amount of wasted land and water resources. The script emphasizes the need to reduce food loss and waste to combat climate change and address food insecurity.
💡Greenhouse gas emissions
Greenhouse gas emissions are gases that trap heat in the Earth's atmosphere, contributing to global warming and climate change. The video explains that food loss and waste are responsible for a significant portion of these emissions, both from the production and transportation of food and from the decomposition of wasted food by microorganisms. This underscores the environmental impact of food waste and the urgency of addressing the issue.
💡Food insecurity
Food insecurity describes a situation where people lack consistent access to enough food for an active, healthy life. The script points out that despite the massive amounts of food being wasted, nearly 1 in 10 people worldwide were exposed to severe food insecurity in 2019. Reducing food waste could provide enough food to alleviate this issue, highlighting the social relevance of the topic.
💡Supply chain
The supply chain in the context of the video refers to the entire process from the production of food to its consumption. The script mentions that food losses occur at various stages of the supply chain, with different causes in wealthier and lower-income countries. Understanding the supply chain is crucial for identifying where interventions can reduce food loss and waste.
💡Resource wastage
Resource wastage in the video is associated with the squandering of land, water, and other inputs used in food production that are rendered useless when food is lost or wasted. The script provides staggering statistics, such as the land area larger than Canada and India combined and the volume of water equivalent to 100 million Olympic-sized swimming pools, to illustrate the scale of this wastage.
💡Harvesting techniques
Harvesting techniques are the methods used to gather crops. The video script notes that poor harvesting techniques in lower-income countries contribute to early food losses in the supply chain. Improving these techniques is one of the ways to reduce food waste and increase efficiency in food production.
💡Storage facilities
Storage facilities are the structures and conditions used to keep food fresh and prevent spoilage. The script identifies inadequate storage as a major cause of food loss in lower-income countries, suggesting that improvements in storage infrastructure could significantly reduce waste.
💡Infrastructure
Infrastructure in the video refers to the basic physical and organizational structures needed for the operation of a society or enterprise, such as transportation and marketing systems for food. The lack of proper infrastructure is a key factor in food loss in lower-income countries, as it hinders the efficient movement and distribution of food.
💡Consumer behavior
Consumer behavior is the patterns of actions displayed by consumers in relation to the acquisition, use, and disposal of goods and services. The script points out that in wealthier countries, consumer behavior, such as discarding imperfect food and over-purchasing, contributes to food waste at the retail and consumer stages.
💡Sustainability
Sustainability in the context of the video pertains to the ability to maintain processes or conditions so that they can continue over the long term without causing harm to the environment or society. The script discusses the need for sustainable packaging solutions that prevent food spoilage without creating additional environmental problems.
💡Food preservation
Food preservation is the process of keeping food fresh for future use through various methods, such as refrigeration, drying, or canning. The video script suggests that developing low-cost, off-grid solutions for food preservation, like mobile solar-powered storage, could help reduce food loss in lower-income countries.
💡Portion control
Portion control refers to the practice of serving or consuming smaller quantities of food. The script mentions that restaurants, retailers, and caterers can reduce waste by selling food in more appropriate portions, which also helps consumers avoid overeating and food waste.
Highlights

30% of food is lost or wasted worldwide, averaging 614 kcal per person daily, equivalent to 10 medium eggs or 21 large carrots.

Food loss and waste are linked to climate change due to the waste of resources involved in food production.

Globally, 1.4 billion hectares of land and 250 km³ of water are wasted annually due to food loss and waste.

Food loss and waste contribute to 8-10% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

Nearly 1 in 10 people worldwide faced severe food insecurity in 2019, despite the abundance of wasted food.

Reducing food loss and waste by 50% could provide enough food for those in need.

Food loss and waste occur at different stages in the supply chain, with varying causes in different countries.

In wealthier countries, over 40% of food loss happens at the retail and consumer stage due to excess supply and consumer behavior.

In lower-income countries, food losses mainly occur due to poor harvesting, storage, and lack of infrastructure.

Improving soil quality and utilizing natural interactions can enhance crop yields and reduce waste.

Effective harvesting technologies can prevent food loss during the harvesting process.

Improving storage facilities and transport infrastructure can significantly reduce food spoilage.

Developing low-cost, off-grid solutions for food preservation, such as mobile solar-powered storage, can help reduce food loss.

Innovative food processing and durable packaging can prevent spoilage during storage and transport.

Retailers and consumers need to change behaviors, embracing 'ugly' foods and reducing waste through portion control and donations.

Individuals can reduce food waste by planning meals, using leftovers, and properly storing food.

Consumer awareness of the impacts of food waste and practical steps to reduce it is crucial as the world becomes wealthier.

Transcripts

Browse More Related Video

How To End The Food Waste Fiasco | Rob Greenfield | TEDxTeen

Food security - A growing dilemma | DW Documentary

The $1BN Megaproject to Save California

Food expiration dates don’t mean what you think - Carolyn Beans

Can we create the "perfect" farm? - Brent Loken

Food waste is the world's dumbest problem

Rate This

5.0 / 5 (0 votes)

Thanks for rating:

Related Tags
Food WasteClimate ChangeSustainabilityResource ManagementGlobal HungerSupply ChainAgricultureFood SecurityConsumer BehaviorInnovation Solutions