On average, only 60% of the food that is grown in the country ends up in people's mouths. The rest drops out of the supply chain, gradually, until the product makes its way to our plates. Pests eat crops in the field, wines inevitably spoil on the way to the store, and even the most scrupulous grocers and buyers are also scattered with food. Here's a rough breakdown of how and why we waste food.
How much food is thrown away each year?
Farmers often plant more crops than they plan to sell to protect themselves from leaf-eating pests, disastrous weather and sudden surges in demand. If producers don't need the surplus, they leave food to rot in the fields and don't pay to collect it. Producers do not weigh unused land, so we can only estimate how much of the crop remains untouched: about 7% per year.
Food is lost along the way
Scientists know that a lot of food is wasted on the way from the farm to the grocery store, but they cannot figure out which part of the trip is the most wasteful. Beef scraps settle on the factory floor, and perishable fruit is spoiled in trucks or accumulated in a warehouse. Some evidence suggests that farmers also throw out normal vegetables simply because they are "too ugly" for supermarkets. Judge for yourself: you would not want to buy ugly tomatoes or cucumbers.
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Food stays on the shelves
Grocers and restaurants supplying goods tend to be overstocked, often resulting in additional costs and loss. A pile of food is spoiling on the shelf. Seasonal foods - like Easter cakes - that go unclaimed are sent to the trash can at the end of the holidays. Like many manufacturers, high-end stores - which offer higher quality and more expensive merchandise - also throw away spoiled or stale food.
Food spoils in the kitchen
Buyers are the largest producer of food waste. We regularly throw away skins, peels, and other food and nutritional waste that are not suitable for taste; some forget cheese or chicken in the refrigerator until they go bad or rancid. These losses add up. According to a study by the USDA, the average American throws away $ 371 worth of food a year. Can you guess and calculate how much food you waste?
Ilya Khel