Avoiding Food Waste Can Help Combat Climate Change

Food waste in the United States accounts for one-third of the food that would otherwise go to food consumption.

This is not just about the food itself; when we throw it away, we also waste all the resources used to create it. This includes the water, fertilisers, labour, and energy that went into planting, growing, and harvesting the crops. Resources are also spent on transporting, processing, packaging, and storing the food. When food waste happens, it means wasting so much more than just what’s on our plates.

Food waste that goes into landfills rots and emits methane, a greenhouse gas even more potent than carbon dioxide in heating the planet.

According to World Wildlife, 6%-8% of all human-caused GHG emissions could be avoided if we stop wasting food. In the U.S. alone, food waste emits GHG emissions equivalent to 32.6 million cars.

The “U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 2021” report shows that the annual environmental impact of food waste in the U.S. is estimated at 92 million MTCO2e GHG – equal to the annual CO2 emissions from 23 coal-fired power plants. According to the report, one-third or 33% of food produced in the US was never eaten, wasting the resources used to make it.

Global food loss and waste account for 8% of anthropogenic GHG emissions. The report notes that reducing food waste not only slashes GHG emissions, avoiding food waste could also help feed the world’s growing population more sustainably.

The EPA report shows what resources are wasted per year associated with US Food loss and waste (FLW):

• 560,000 km2 (140 million acres) of agricultural land – an area the size of California and New York combined;
• 22 trillion L (5.9 trillion gallons) of blue water – equal to the annual water use of 50 million American homes;
• 350 million kg (778 million pounds) pesticides;
• 6,350 million kg (14 billion pounds) fertiliser – enough to grow all the plant-based foods produced each year in the United States for domestic consumption;
• 2,400 million GJ (664 billion kWh) energy – enough to power more than 50 million U.S. homes for a year and
• 170 million MTCO2e GHG emissions (excluding landfill emissions) – equal to the annual CO2 emissions of 42 coal-fired power plants.

But just cutting this FLW to half would lead to substantial savings in resources like agricultural land (300,000 square km), blue water (12 trillion litres), nearly 290,000 metric tons of agricultural fertilizer that would otherwise seep into freshwater resources, and enough power to electrify 21.5 million homes in the U.S. for a year, and 92 million MTCO2e GHG emissions avoided.

The report offers three recommendations on how to maximise the environmental benefits of FLW reduction programmes and policies, summarised in the three points below:

1. Waste prevention rather than recycling offers the most significant environmental benefit
2. Reducing FLW from households and restaurants can offer the largest energy and greenhouse gas emissions benefits
3. Reducing the FLW of the most resource-intensive foods, such as animal products and fruits and vegetables, can yield the greatest environmental benefits.

One way to avoid food waste and loss is through food fermentation. Food fermentation is an ancient technique of preserving food and involves the breakdown of carbs like starch and sugar by bacteria and yeast.

Common fermented foods include sauerkraut, yoghurt, kimchi, kefir, tempeh, and kombucha. This method helps preserve food and prevent food loss or waste. Additionally, fermented foods may reduce heart disease risk and aid digestion, immunity, and weight loss.

Fermentation creates an environment that inhibits the growth of bacteria and pathogens, which lengthens the shelf life of food. The process transforms perishable ingredients into stable produce that can be stored for months, and fermentation also improves the nutritional profile of foods, making them more healthy.

Everyone has a role in preventing food waste. If you want to reduce food waste, contribute to the solution to fight climate change, and eat healthy, fermenting food is an excellent way to start.

The video below is a guide for beginners who want to learn food fermentation: