The problem of food waste goes well beyond how much we leave on our plates after a meal.

Photo Credit: Only Fabrizio/ Shutterstock.com

This AlterNet article (Ecocentric by Kyle Rabin) makes sense.

“With nearly 100 percent certainty I can assure you we won’t be hearing President Barack Obama and GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney, or their respective surrogates, talking about America’s food waste dilemma (or what I and others would describe as a crisis) in the months ahead.  That’s too bad since food waste is creating significant social, economic and environmental consequences for the US (and the world).

“This growing crisis and the fact that discarded food provides a unique lens through which to view the water/energy/agriculture nexus (a topic of great interest to us here at GRACE and Ecocentric), prompted me to take a closer look at the food that goes uneaten and how it impacts Americans.  While researching this trending topic, I learned some interesting facts I thought I’d share.

“What a Waste!

“Between one quarter and one half of the more than 590 billion pounds of food produced each year in the United States is squandered during the farm-to-table supply chain.  Using this range, food writer and food waste expert Jonathan Bloom estimates that, every day America wastes enough food to fill the Rose Bowl – the 90,000-seat football stadium in Pasadena, California – and sometimes it’s as much as two stadiums full.

“2. Americas’ per capita food waste has increased by 50 percent since 1974.

“3. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, in 2010 discarded food represented the single largest component of municipal solid waste reaching landfills and incinerators.

“4. Food waste represents a significant cost to local governments (and ultimately taxpayers who already paid for it once as consumers), which is why many municipalities like the City of Santa Monica, California and Charleston County, South Carolina are adopting food waste collection and composting programs.

“5. Food waste is particularly egregious at a time when hunger is a growing problem and an increasing human rights issue.  If we wasted just 5 percent less food, it would be enough to feed 4 million Americans; 20 percent less waste could feed 25 million Americans annually.

“6. Approximately $100 to $160 billion is spent each year on producing food that is ultimately wasted.” Click here to read the remainder of this AlterNet article.

“Cutting back on food waste is one of the best ways that you can save money and help the planet at the same time. When we send food waste to the landfill, it breaks down to produce methane, a harmful greenhouse gas. Here are some 25 ways to make a difference.” – care2.com