Mari Orikasa

MATH 1030
Thomas Sumborn
August 4, 2015
Final Project: Food Waste

Introduction
I would like to show my research about food waste. I collected the data of the amount of the
food waste and the number of people who cannot access food in the USA, to show how much
food we are wasting.
Why did I choose this topic?
I love food and I work for a food establishment. I have been noticing that we create food waste
every day. I feel sad when I see food waste going to a dumpster, and think how many people
could be fed.
Hypothesis
People talk about food supply in the future. The food supply will be short and many people will
have a hard time accessing the food. I think we already produce enough food to cover the
entire population on this planet. But this time, I would like to research the circumstance in the
US.
How did I approach to the topic?
I collected the data of food waste in the US in 2014, amount of Americans who cannot access
food, and calculated how many Americans could be fed with the same amount of food waste.

Data: Food waste amount in the US

Estimated food loss in the United States at the retail and consumer levels, 2010
Retail food
Total losses
Per capita losses
Measure
supply
Annual (billions)
Annual
Daily
Amount (pounds)
430
133
429
1.18
Value (U.S. dollars)
Calories (kcal)

554

162

522

1.43

429,161

141,212

455,890

1,249

Note: Totals may not add due to rounding. Source: USDA, Economic Research Service Loss-Adjusted Food
Availability data, 2010.

In the United States, 31 percentor 133 billion poundsof the 430 billion pounds of
the available food supply at the retail and consumer levels in 2010 went uneaten. The
estimated value of this food loss was $161.6 billion using retail prices. For the first time, ERS
estimated the calories associated with food loss: 141 trillion in 2010, or 1,249 calories per
capita per day. (USDA)

The graph (1) shows that food waste occurs

globally. There are two main ways food waste occurs.
Low income countries that lack the financial resources
cause food waste. For example, the limitation of the
harvesting techniques and poor facilities which cant
store food properly cause food waste. Many people
cant access the food, even though people waste food.
Developing countries need to develop a well-organized
transportation system; from the small farmers to the
market today. For example, the poorest country in the
world is the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Their
GDP Per Capita was $348 in 2011. (Wikipedia) How can this country afford a harvester machine
or a commercial refrigerator?
In median/high income countries, the food waste is caused by many reasons. One of the
reasons is due to quality standards, what is called not perfect food is thrown away. Not
perfect food means shape or appearances are dont qualify. Another reason is the consumer
level. The consumers poor purchase planning; buy a large amount of food but not using all of it,
and throwing it away later. Expiring best before- dates also causes the large amount of the
waste. Best-before-dates means foods are still safe to eat after the date as long as they are
not damaged, deteriorated or perished, but many people think the food isnt eatable anymore
and throw away the food.
Food Insecurity in the US
I found a data about food insecurity in the US.
Food insecureAt times during the year, these households were uncertain of having, or unable
to acquire, enough food to meet the needs of all their members because they had insufficient
money or other resources for food. Food-insecure households include those with low food
security and very low food security. (USDA)

Food Security Status of U.S. Households with Children in 2013 (Graph 2)

49.1 million people lived in food-insecure
households.

12.2 million adults lived in households with

very low food security.
8.6 million children lived in food-insecure
households in which children, along with
adults, were food insecure.
765,000 children (1.0 percent of the Nation's
children) lived in households in which one
or more child experienced very low food
security.

Hunger in America exists for over 50 million people. That is 1 in 6 of the U.S. population
including more than 1 in 5 children. (Feeding America)

How many people can we feed if we stop wasting food? (Graph 3)

I found data and I calculated how many people
could access food.
US food waste amount in 2010 was 430 billion lbs.
430 x 0.15 = 64.5 billion lbs.
64,500,000,000 = 2,580 lbs of food per person/
25,000,000
per year
2580 = 7.068 lbs of food per person/ per day
365
I think I do not eat 7lbs per day. Maybe active people like athletes and teenagers could eat this
amount of food. I found information about the food portion for a person for a year.
-1,996 pounds, or nearly one ton. This is an estimate of how much by weight the average
American eats over the course of one year. - (Aubery)
I calculated with a new number.
64,500,000,000 = 32,314,629.26
1,996

It shows almost 32.3 million Americans be fed

with 15% of food waste in a year.

49.1 million people lived in food-insecure households in the USA in 2013.

To feed 49.1 million food insecure Americans, we need
1,996 x 49,100,000 = 98,003,600,000 lbs, rounded 98 billion lbs of food per year. This amount
will be
98,000,000,000 = 0.2279 , rounded as 0.23
430,000,000,000
This will be 23% of the total food waste per year can feed all those who are categorized as food
insecure Americans.
It would be better to calculate based on how many calories a person needs, but it is hard to
estimate the food waste as calories.
The estimated value of this food loss was $161.6 billion using retail prices.
$161.6 billion x 0.23 = $37,168,000,000 of the food waste cost per year.
In 2008, the EPA estimated that food waste cost roughly $1.3 billion to dispose of in landfills.
(Journal of Consumer Affairs)
$1.3 billion x 0.23 = $299,000,000 will be saved from landfill cost.
If we save 23% of food waste in the US, we can save
$37,168,000,000 + $ 299,000,000 = $ 37, 467,000,000 and feed all of food insecure Americans.
This is a huge amount of money and money can be used in better ways: education,
social security, and others. Population will be 9 billion on this planet in 2050. If we keep wasting
food like this, there will be a possibility that food supply will be short.

Conclusion
Food waste is a big
problem today. I think each
individual needs to be aware of
this matter and try to reduce the
food waste. How can an
individual reduce food waste?
These are ideas people can do it
in daily life.

Shop wisely; Plan meals, dont buy too much food, if youll toss portions of them later. I dont
buy food in bulk, because I know Ill not use it.
Buy imperfect fruits or vegetables; dont be fooled by the shape, size, color. Buy these kinds
of food at a farmers market, if you can. I go to Farmers markets often in every summer. The
fruits and vegetables were very fresh and tasted good. I felt good within myself because I was
helping local business.
Learn when food goes bad; learn about Sell-by and Use-by dates. It will save money and
food. I always check the label.
Mine your fridge; Find recipes to use up the food which might go bad. I like cooking and I try
to use all food in my fridge.
Use your freezer; freeze fresh products and leftovers before they get bad. I dont freeze
leftover food, because I dont like defrosted cooked food. Its not my favorite food to eat. I
freeze only ingredients.
Request smaller portions; request smaller portions at the restaurant upon request at reduced
prices. Eat leftover; if you dont eat soon, freeze it.
Compost; composting food scraps can reduce their climate impact. Ive never done compost,
so I would like to try sometime.
Donate; Non-perishable and unspoiled perishable food can be donated to local food banks
and shelters. I buy reduced price food that is close to best before- dates, buying reduced price
breads and keep them in my refrigerator.

Work Cited

Aubrey, A. (2011, December 31). The Average American Ate (Literally) A Ton This Year. Retrieved August 3, 2015,
from The Average American Ate (Literally) A Ton This Year (NPR)
http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2011/12/31/144478009/the-average-american-ate-literally-a-tonthis-year

Food Loss-Questions About the Amount and Causes Still Remain (USDA ERS -)
http://www.ers.usda.gov/amber-waves/2014-june/food-loss%E2%80%94questions-about-the-amount-andcauses-still-remain.aspx#.Vb7y7PmbF5c

"How We Fight Hunger." Feeding America. 2012: n. page. Web. 2 Dec. 2012.
<http://feedingamerica.org/how-we-fight-hunger.asp&xgt;.

JEAN C. BUZBY, JEAN C. BUZBY, JEFFREY HYMAN JEFFREY HYMAN, HAYDEN STEWART HAYDEN
STEWART, and HODAN F. WELLS HODAN F. WELLS. "The Value of Retail- and Consumer-Level
Fruit and Vegetable Losses in the United States." OTHER RESEARCH IN THE CONSUMER INTEREST
45.3 (2011): 9. Print.

Smarter Living: Eating Well (NRDC: Saving Leftovers Saves Money and Resources)
http://www.nrdc.org/living/eatingwell/saving-leftovers-saves-money-resources.asp

USDA ERS - The Estimated Amount, Value, and Calories of Postharvest Food Losses at the Retail and Consumer
Levels in the United States (USDA ERS - The Estimated Amount, Value, and Calories of Postharvest Food
Losses at the Retail and Consumer Levels in the United States)
http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/eib-economic-information-bulletin/eib121.aspx