Food waste in the USA

Food waste occurs at every step of the food supply chain. Food waste can be defined as the
deliberate decision to eliminate consumable foods at any phase of the supply chain food
distribution. According to a Feeding America study, about 34 million people in the U.S.
suffer from hunger. On the other hand, 40% of all foods in the U.S. are wasted annually. In
America, many packaged food products are discarded just because their expiry dates are
passed. This is a severe problem in America due to the increasing number of citizens who
goes hungry. A solution for this issue is to implement a systematic structure in the supply
chain so that the overproduction of food is stopped.

The primary reason is the excessive production of food. The food supply chain is divided into
four parts: Farmers, Processors, Distributors, and Retailers, and food is wasted in all four
stages. When the supply exceeds the demand, the food price decreases, so they get rid of food
before reaching retailers. First, they need an elaborated food system to break out of a vicious
circle and reduce food waste. There are cases in which food continues to be produced even
though there is already an ample supply. Hence if calculation and monitoring of all food
storage systems are established, it will be diminished. Secondly, throwing away food can be
decreased, and food insecurity can be addressed by encouraging retailers, eateries, and
farmers to give their extra produce to food banks and other charities.
Food Waste in America | Feeding America