Chapter 7

Food Waste

Cheryl J. Baldwin

Cheryl J. Baldwin

Pure Strategies, Gloucester, MA, USA

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First published: 23 January 2015

Summary

One-third of food is lost or wasted worldwide. Food wastage is happening across the entire supply chain. Agricultural production, postharvest storage and handling, and consumer use are the primary sources of food loss and waste. Simple measures can reduce waste including good management and planning. The next most desirable strategy is to reuse the food for humans and secondarily for animals to replace other feed sources. The approach to effective waste management has a common process across the supply chain. It begins with an internal focus that involves measuring the waste, setting goals and a plan, and taking action. The United Kingdom government program Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) is an innovator in advancing solutions that address food wastage. Tesco, a leading food retailer has taken a strong position on food waste. The FAO estimates that cutting food wastage by just 25% can feed the current hungry population.

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