shifting habits , shifting minds
or personal waste . The sheer amount is staggering , but there are other unintended consequences . Food waste can be considered a byproduct of inefficient chains of distribution , as we have more than sufficient quantities of food to feed the entire world , yet half the world lives in a state of food insecurity . Economics and the will of those who control the supply are what prevent distribution chains from reaching everyone . Personal food waste accounts for the largest segment of total waste . This is fundamentally due to inefficient purchasing and consuming habits . More often than not , there is little to no planning before one heads to the grocery store . Once produce and other foods make their way into the home , poor preparation or storage can lead to waste . People often cook large amounts and then the leftovers go uneaten . Another factor that leads to perfectly good food getting thrown away is a misunderstanding of expiration dates . Adjusting our personal consumption habits is a way that everyone can start reducing the excess waste we are currently experiencing . Next comes waste on the corporate level . Stores tend to buy excessive amounts of product , hoping to meet non-existent consumer demand . The companies that run grocery stores look at food like any other product . If they feel it has no commercial value , whether due to irregular shape or expiration date , they dispose of it . The infinite growth model decisively has a role to play . Often when faced with these surpluses , retailers choose to simply dispose of it . When asked , food retailers cite fears of being sued for donating food that may be past an expiration date and cause someone to get sick . The dumpsters of retail supermarkets are often filled with high-quality food that may be near or past the expiration . Coming to understand expiration dates are vital in tackling the food waste epidemic . There are numerous different
“ Coming to understand expiration dates are vital in tackling the food waste epidemic . There are numerous different types of expiration dates and most consumers really don ’ t understand what they are or what they mean .” types of expiration dates and most consumers really don ’ t understand what they are or what they mean . Just because stamp on a can of tuna is tomorrow ’ s date doesn ’ t mean it will go bad overnight . People often see a date and simply assume the food is bad when , in reality , this incorrect assumption is contributing to the problem . Finally , we have waste caused by agricultural overproduction . Overproduction deserves a book unto itself . Though it only accounts for around 15 per cent of total food waste , its impact on the environment and food prices in certain markets make it a problem that has grown out of control . There are many reasons why farmers participate in overproduction and , as far as the consumer is concerned , aesthetics is a big one . Farmers are forced to overproduce to accommodate the uninformed populace who only want to buy produce that looks “ good ” as opposed to “ bad ”. To some degree , we have been conditioned to only buy the best-looking fruits and vegetables , and packaged goods with lengthy expiration dates . As much as 40 per cent of all produce grown is disposed of because it doesn ’ t meet our visual standards of culinary beauty . However , misshapen produce has no less nutritional value than their classical counterparts . There has been a surge in interest in the marketing of misshapen produce in an attempt to curb the problem ; however , the practice is not widespread .
64 Maximum Yield USA | February 2017