Understanding Food Waste

Food waste is a significant global issue, with approximately one-third of the food produced for human consumption wasted, amounting to $1 trillion in lost food and around 1 billion meals wasted daily. In the U.S., consumers are identified as the largest contributors to food waste, with estimates suggesting that a typical American family throws away over $200 worth of food each month. The majority of this waste stems from our inability to effectively manage the food we purchase, highlighting the necessity for individual action to address the food waste problem at a broader scale. As food waste leads to substantial economic losses and environmental impacts, particularly through greenhouse gas emissions from landfills, finding ways to reduce waste has become increasingly urgent.