Food Waste In America and Around The Globe – Restaurants, Grocery Stores and Consumers Are Not The Biggest Contributors

Market conditions off the farm can also cause farmers to throw out perfectly edible food: If the price of produce on the market is lower than the cost of transportation and labor, farmers may choose to leave their food crops unsold and not harvested. Food spoilage in transportation is another factor that leads to food waste.

Cosmetic imperfections are a significant source of food waste on farms, since it is believed that consumers are not interested in misshaped or blemished items, also known as “ugly produce.” Food safety scares and improper refrigeration and handling can also force farmers to disregard otherwise edible food. Labor shortages with the lack of workers in the fields to pick the produce, could also force famers to abandon harvesting their crops.

Food packaging houses and manufacturing facilities, along with transportation and distribution networks also contribute to national and global food waste. While cosmetic appearance plays a big part in the amount of food disregarded at packaging plants, overproduction and product damage are also leading factors. Often, rejected food shipments are donated to food rescue organizations, but the quantities may be too large for even the food banks to accept. In addition, perishable foods are vulnerable to loss due to inadequate refrigeration in the transportation process.

It’s recommended that local and state governments place more emphasis on food waste and loss on farms, as well as introduce binding food waste and reduction targets. Markets and supply chains also need to help build fairer structures for farmers to prevent floods and gluts on the food.