Tackling the Food Waste Crisis
increase food supply and make our food systems more efficient. Food waste is a huge part of the problem, that needs to be addressed. A recent NRDC report showed that Americans waste some 40% of the food that, is produced and we are not the only ones, food waste is a worldwide issue. Anna Lappe and Danielle, Nierenberg are two women at the forefront of the sustainable food movement. They are pioneering, innovative ways to deal with issues like food waste and increasing food supply through speaking, writing
Our Most Popular Food and Fuel Stories of 2015
here. 1. What Expiration Dates Really Mean 2. 10 Ways to Get Kids to Waste Less Food 3. Produce Storage Cheat Sheet , this list, our readers are more interested than ever in learning about the food waste problem and, so you don’t miss a thing. Food Stories 1. 5 Ways to Green Your K-Cup: Originally posted in 2014, we,. Watch John Oliver Take Aim at Food Waste in America: Late-night comic John Oliver’s report on the U.S,. food waste issue opened new eyes to the problem. 3. How to Compost at Work: A starter guide to
The US and UK Take on Food Waste
food waste and food storage, and developing new technologies to reduce food waste. According to the, Yesterday, the USDA and EPA jointly launched the U.S. Food Waste Challenge, an effort to enlist, all players in the food system — producer groups, processors, manufacturers, retailers, communities,, and other government agencies — to reduce, recover, and recycle food waste. The new program is the, government’s response to recent reports that we waste 40% of our food in the U.S. As part of the new
What is a Food Hub?
and customers. Sometimes they provide storage or liability insurance. Every food hub is a little, Food hubs are a crucial, but often invisible, part of the local food system. They help small farms, 236 food hubs in the U.S., with more popping up all the time. Some are physical spaces, some virtual, food in local and regional food systems. Food hubs can be thought of as helpful middlemen that connect, and less on marketing, distribution, etc. According to the USDA’s Regional Food Hub Resource Guide, a
Chicago Brewery Says “Cheers” to Reducing Food Waste
Can beer help end food waste? Two Chicago-area businesses think so. Starting January 15, Goose, Zero Percent, a company that helps businesses donate food that would otherwise be thrown away to, nonprofits who feed the hungry. Goose Island started working with Zero Percent to donate excess food, about the organization and the issue of food waste. A GROWING TREND FOR WASTE REDUCTION You can expect, to see more restaurants getting involved with food recovery this year. The National Restaurant
Can the EU Reduce Food Waste By Dumping “Best Before” Labels?
important. it’s always a good idea to practice optimal food storage and handling once you get your, resource. We also have collected some great food storage ideas on our Reducing Food Waste Pinterest board, What do you do when you’re faced with food that is past its “best by” date? If you’re like many, not trust our senses. Rather than risk getting sick from spoiled food, into the trash it goes. It, unregulated, vary from state to state, and have little to do with food safety. In many cases, these labels
NFL Food Waste Fuels the Future
As if the fact that, in America, we waste 40% of our food isn’t shocking enough, a recent study by, Protection Agency, all that uneaten food accounts for 23% of methane emissions as it rots in landfills, yet, generated in anaerobic digesters that break down food waste before it ever reaches landfills, for U.S. Dairy has implemented a new system, which will divert an estimated 35 tons of stadium food, food waste into a slurry and transports it to an anaerobic digestion facility where it is converted to
2014 Sustainable America Gift Guide
sheets coated with beeswax are an eco-friendly alternative to disposable plastic food storage. The,: Field Notes on the Future of Food’ One of the most interesting books of the year about the future of, food is from farm-to-table pioneering chef Dan Barber. In The Third Plate, he gathers wisdom and, research from farmers and chefs to put forth a new look at how to build a truly sustainable food system,. Visit amazon.com. ‘Groundbreaking Food Gardens’ What do gardeners do in the winter? Plan next year’s
7 Exciting Findings from ReFED’s Food Waste Report
On Wednesday, a group of the country’s foremost experts and business leaders concerned with food, movement to reduce food waste in the United States. The report, A Roadmap for Reducing Food Waste by, 20 Percent, looks at the problem of food waste through an economic lens. It analyzes the costs and, action. The first report of its kind, the Roadmap was developed by Rethink Food Waste Through, to reducing food waste at scale. It is a guide the entire food community can use to move forward with
5 Ways to Curb Food Waste at Home
We’re excited to see an influx of new devices designed to eliminate food waste. From student, design projects to crowd-funded food savers to apps that help manage expiration dates, there are all, sorts of high tech options on the horizon that hold promise for food waste crusaders. Read on for a, round-up of food waste innovations, plus some common sense tips to help you reduce food waste today! 1, that prevents food waste by sensing ethylene levels. (Increasing ethylene levels indicate that fruit is
The U.S. Is Running Low on Corn and Soy
corn in storage this year and only 16 days of soybeans if we maintain the current pace of demand. For, second lowest. Why is this? There are many reasons, but in a nutshell, food demand is growing fast, very large portions of our total food supply in the U.S., would have to spike dramatically to kill, demand, causing food inflation everywhere. Sustainable America is working hard to increase domestic, food availability through increased food production and decreased food waste.
Creative Ways to Use Leftovers
makes sense for us to get smarter about fully using the food that we purchase. And that means getting, smarter about leftovers. Here are five tips for using those extras from I Value Food, Sustainable, America’s new campaign to help end food waste. Click here to read all 10 tips. 1. Create leftovers, leftovers smartly. Glass storage containers are not only reusable and sustainable; they allow you to, food, commit to “eating down the fridge” one night a week. 4. Turn dinner into lunch. Another money
Natural Gas, Electric Vehicles & Twilight for the Combustion Engine
Every month, Sustainable America invites a guest blogger to post on a topic related to food and, Electric Vehicles There are two main paths forward on how we deliver power to electric motors: storage, of storage (via battery) and fuel conversion to deliver power to electric motors. [See [Questions, indicate a preference for integration of fuel conversion and storage to power electric motors. The world’s
Start-Ups: Apply for Fellowship & Co-working Space at Greentown Labs
reduce U.S. oil consumption while increasing U.S. food production. By raising awareness and, our food and transportation systems. We hope to bring similar fellowship programs to other regions of,, energy storage, renewable energy, water, and related technologies, we are the second-largest
Update: Deadline Extended for Cleantech Fellowship
increasing U.S. food production. By raising awareness and supporting innovation, we can effect, invest in start-ups seeking to increase the sustainability of our food and transportation systems, companies commercializing energy efficiency, energy generation, energy storage, renewable energy
Earthships: Extreme Sustainability
all the energy they needed to operate off the grid, reuse water, grow food, and be affordable. No, battery system for storage. Sewage: Waste is treated using a grey water system that runs the sewage, winter. Homes are built to take advantage of the morning sun and avoid the hot afternoon sun. Food,: Earthships are places where food is grown. The home designs incorporate indoor and outdoor gardens, for growing healthy, fresh food right on site. People who are interested in trying out an Earthship
When you can't trust a label
Natural, organic, fair-trade, these are all labels on our food that we have come to trust, labels, grew our food were treated well. But who sets the standards for the labeling and who keeps track of, storage, handling and shipping, have led to an environment where GMOs are not sufficiently controlled, our food are fairly arbitrary without any particular accepted standards of conduct attached to them, practices can be defined as ‘fair’ in trade. Mother Jones has posted a guide to food labels which
The Link Between the Energy Market and the Food Market
empty. We rely on industrialized food production, distribution, preservation and storage to make our, the world’s largest food-production company, Peter Brabeck-Letmathe is counting calories. But it’s, not his diet that the chairman and former CEO of Nestlé is worried about. It’s all the food that the,. Brabeck-Letmathe says, “do not understand that between the food market and the energy market, there is, incentives in Europe, crops formerly grown for food or livestock feed are being grown for fuel. The U.S
A Rush to Grow Corn and Soy Is Overtaking America's Grasslands
, and a 2008 paper published in Science argued that this lower rate of carbon storage makes the, cellulosic biofuel to ease the demand for corn ethanol and ease the pressure on the food supply. We also, with a vigilant sensitivity to the competition between food and fuel to lead America into a sustainable and secure future.
Finalists Announced for Sustainable America/Greentown Labs Fellowship
while increasing U.S. food production by raising awareness and supporting innovation. We believe in, to increase the sustainability of our food and transportation systems. We hope to bring similar, storage, renewable energy, water, and related technologies, Greentown Labs is the second-largest
Food Deserts
="511" class="size-large wp-image-7199" />Map courtesy of USDA Food Desert Locator from the USDA, ## What is a food desert? It’s an area where healthy, fresh food is difficult to obtain. There are, increasing areas of America today where the only convenient place to buy food is a convenience store,….which means a dearth of healthy, fresh whole foods for many Americans. In these food deserts, the, supermarkets and the fresh food have simply moved out of town. The USDA created this Food Desert
Clean Car News: Tesla, Fuel Cells and...Tomatoes?
organization focused on both sustainable food and fuel solutions, we were especially interested in the news, and storage bins. The material would be lighter than traditional plastics, which could ultimately
'Waste Free Kitchen Handbook' Offers Advice for Home Cooks
storage, cooking, food safety and composting. Easy to read in one or two sittings, this section, Maybe you caught John Oliver’s segment on food waste. Or you heard the news that the U.S,. government set an ambitious goal to slash food waste in half. You were shocked when you learned that we, waste 40% of the food we produce, and you are outraged that this waste happens while millions of, Americans are living with food insecurity. You’re convinced: It’s time to waste less food. Then you open
What is Food Insecurity,
What is Food Insecurity? The World Food Summit of 1996 defined food security as existing “when all, people at all times have access to sufficient, safe, nutritious food to maintain a healthy and, active life”. Food insecurity certainly isn’t a new thing, since the dawn of humanity there have been, occasional meal uncertainty to full blown famine. One factor in the IPC Acute Food Insecurity, Reference Table that determines the breaking point between Phase 1 mild food security and Phase 2 stressed
Wholesome Wave
getting healthy fresh and locally grown food into the hands of America’s most needy while simultaneously, stimulating local food economies and shifting the balance towards more localized food systems, providing healthier food to under served communities. According to a report on their website, the, are the Fruit and Vegetable Prescription Program and the Healthy Food Commerce Investments. The Fruit, at risk for developing food related preventable diseases like type 2 diabetes. With health care
What Is Food Waste
What is food waste and what can I do about it? Food waste is a significant problem. According to, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, approximately 1/3 of food produced for humans, in the world is either lost or wasted. Think about that for a moment: 1/3 of the food we produce and, and developing countries dissipate roughly the same quantities of food — respectively 670 and 630, million tonnes. Every year, consumers in rich countries waste almost as much food (222 million tons
Campuses Fight Food Waste
From trayless cafeterias, to thriving food recovery programs, to composting, college campuses and, students are tackling food waste and food insecurity nationwide. Currently we waste 40 percent of, our food as a nation while 1 in 6 American families don’t know where their next meal is coming from, waste food. Luckily, many schools and student organizations are already addressing this issue. Food, reduce the environmental impact of food waste is prevention. Many colleges are taking this to heart
Local Food Lab
Food Lab that is geared to fostering innovation and entrepreneurship in local food systems. The Local, Food Lab’s stated mission: >“Growing good food and farm startups: Local Food Lab stimulates and, accelerates successful innovation and entrepreneurship in local food systems. By providing best-in,-class entrepreneurial education and a potent network of diverse professional resources, Local Food Lab,. They also have access to the Local Food Lab’s commercial kitchen, garden and collaborative spaces, as
Food Forests Take Root
Last spring, the city of Seattle announced plans for the nation’s first food forest, and people,, open, public food forest spread through blogs and other news publications and before long others, for a food forest in a currently run-down public park at the entrance to downtown Honolulu. The, organizers of Friends of Kamalii Park took inspiration from the Seattle food forest initiative, and with, Malama Kaua’i has taken a few acres of donated land and converted it into a food forest for the
Food expiration dates
Food expiration dates can be confusing and they don’t always relate to the safety of your food. In, America, we waste some 40% of the food we produce and a lot of that food waste is a result of food, food safety, according to the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service. These dates actually tell you, date is for stores to understand how long they can display a product for sale. You should buy the food, good guide for safety on certain perishables: USDA Food Product Dating Milk, for example, will
Food Waste Entrepreneurs
from Kenya to London only to be tossed aside at a wholesale food market, destined for the landfill,. Shortly after that first memorable experience of good food being wasted, Dawson saw a crate of, this perfectly edible discarded food, Dawson launched her business Rubies in the Rubble. With the, that up to 40% of food is wasted worldwide, the food waste crisis has begun to receive overdue, achieved its goal of zero food waste. That means no food was sent to the landfill. Instead, any unwanted
Who, Me Waste Food?
the food waste issue—about how discarded food wastes precious resources, harms the environment, could, respondents are concerned about the amount of food wasted in the United States. Great news, right? Well, it, turns out that only 1 in 3 of them thinks the amount of food wasted in their own household is a, problem. In other words, I don’t waste food, but everyone else does. Americans, in fact, throw out, approximately 25% of the food they purchase, costing the average family of four $1,365 to $2,275 a year
Campus Food Waste Crusaders
The amount of food waste generated on college campuses might not cross every student’s mind as, million pounds of edible food is thrown away at college campuses each year. Two inspiring organizations, are working to change that. Campus Kitchens Project and Food Recovery Network have been mobilizing, an army of students around the country who are working to raise awareness about the food waste, problem and get food that would be wasted to people in need in their communities. We reported on these
Introducing 'I Value Food,' a Campaign to End Food Waste
The statistics are staggering. In America, we waste 40% of the food we produce. Let me repeat that,: We love food in this country, so it’s mind-boggling to learn that we throw away so much of it,. Especially when 49 million households deal with food insecurity every year. The reasons we waste food, delicious. Today we’re launching I Value Food, a movement that takes a fresh look at how food gets wasted, and offers tools everyone can use to make a real impact on this pressing issue. Here’s a taste: FOOD
How the Moringa Tree Could Improve Nutrition Worldwide
they should. Simultaneously, nearly 50 million Americans live in a state of food insecurity, meaning, they cannot always meet their basic food needs. Meanwhile, in developing countries in Africa, South, economic hardships. In sub-Saharan Africa, for example, food losses caused by flooding, drought,, fungus, mold, or inadequate storage total roughly 100 million tons each year. A “New” Superfood We’ve, recently invested in a company called Kuli Kuli that is working to improve nutrition and food
New EPA Rules: A Setback for Advanced Biofuels?
has become too dependent on food for fuel. As demand for ethanol has risen, food prices have gone up, as fuel and food producers competed to buy the same commodities and swaths of food-producing cropland, Indonesia. Since grasslands hold carbon better than croplands, this lower rate of carbon storage makes, renewable fuel. The goal was to substitute corn ethanol for more advanced biofuels made from non-food, fuel from non-food sources is not ready yet. So the troubling part of last week’s EPA news, from our
Food for all
something clearly broken about our food system. Just published by the Barilla Center for Food &, reasons for the failure of our food systems: 1. Global weather change - unpredictable and irregular, the last 30 years. 2. Food vs. Fuel - the use of land and resources to grow crops for biofuel has, them. 4. Financial Speculation - Patel believes that the creation of a commodities market for food has, increased both price swings and cost of food. 5. High Oil Prices - the increasing cost of oil has
White House Recognizes Sustainable Agriculture Changemakers
sustainable food system by examining the intersection between nutrition, health, hunger, food waste, Food and Agriculture in Washington, D.C. works to create a more equitable and sustainable food, system through increasing food access, sustainable farming, farmer training and ‘farm-to-school, Storrs, Conn., is the Sustainable Food System Associate Educator for the University of Connecticut, Extension. Jiff has worked for over 12 years on food and agriculture issues in Connecticut, helping
2015 Sustainable America Gift Guide
in the USA from recycled milk jugs. Oxo GreenSavers Yes, we know that food storage containers aren’t, grow and enjoy food, waste less of it, and keep safe on bike rides. (Need more ideas? Check out last, Founder Stephanie Brady describes Soup.Box.Love as “Newman’s Own meets Blue Apron.” It’s a new food, solutions to address hunger through food access, rescue and redistribution. Sales of December’s box,, Ginger Sweet Potato Soup, will go to support La Kitchen’s food recovery and culinary job training
Seattle's First Food Forest
What is a food forest? The first of its kind in the US, the Beacon Hill Food Forest in Seattle “is, group was started called Friends of the Food Forest. It wasn’t easy to get the local community to agree, to converting the seven acre public park into a self-sustaining food source. The natural objections, input from all the members of the surrounding communities. For the planners of this food forest, a, park’s success. The food forest is currently in the initial stages of development. The plan calls for a
Labeling & GMOs in Food
Times, “For the most part, the spread of transgenic seeds into the American food supply has been,] ## Are they in the food I eat? Chances are, yes. A February, 2012 New York Times article cited the,. > “In a 2010 nationwide telephone poll, 93 percent of those surveyed said that if a food has,. guidelines don’t require special labeling for GMOs in food, and products containing GMOs can still be,. ## Why is this such a polarizing issue? In a nutshell, opponents of GMOs in food argue that there has
Racing to End Food Waste
an integral part of cheering on our favorite teams. But with game-day snacking also comes food, pilot program with NASCAR to speed up the food waste reduction movement. Sustainable America chased, down food waste at a group of food service areas at Richmond International Raceway in Virginia in late, assistance from Henrico County, we worked to reduce waste in two ways: by donating prepared food that, didn’t get eaten to Good Samaritan Ministries, and by sending food scraps and plate waste to be
Glad Takes on Food Waste
The fight against food waste is getting a boost from a major consumer brand. Glad, makers of, plastic wraps, containers and food bags, launched a $10 million campaign this month to educate consumers, about food waste and how their products can help reduce it. Informing the campaign is a “Fridge To, Fork” survey commissioned by Glad that took stock of Americans’ food waste and food preservation, year’s NRDC food waste report. For example, two-thirds of Americans throw away food weekly or more, 49
The U.S. Food Waste Challenge
Earlier this month, the USDA and the EPA teamed-up to launch the U.S. Food Waste Challenge. The, challenge asks individuals and groups from every facet of the food system – including farmers, reduce the amount of food waste sent to landfills. The agencies have set a goal to reduce food loss, and waste, recover edible, nutritious food for human consumption, and recycle discarded food to, U.S. joins countries like the U.K. that have already taken nationwide action against food waste
Are Food Waste Bans Working?
In the fight against food waste, a handful of states have enacted policies that ban some, generators of food waste from sending food scraps to landfills. These laws are new, so data about their, released recently that show these policy solutions are making headway. What Are Food Waste Bans? Although, Vermont have all passed food waste bans or mandatory recycling laws in recent years. Connecticut’s law,, for instance, bans commercial entities that generate more than 104 tons of food waste per year
Music, Summertime and Food Waste
in the 40% of food wasted in the United States. With that in mind, we’ve partnered with the Alive, @ Five concert series in Stamford, Conn., this summer to help divert the event’s food waste to be, food with compostable utensils, cups and plates, and the compost facility handling the waste, accepts all food scraps, including meat and dairy, so fans don’t have to separate their food into, to place their items into the right bins. The food waste we collect is delivered to New Milford Farm
Why Are Food Prices Rising?
, and the numbers on food prices have continued their upward trend as expected. The food at home index, (grocery store prices) increased 3.3% since April of 2011, while general food prices were similar, - up 3.1% overall. The price of food has been increasing for years. Total food expenditures in the US, increased 3.4% from 2009 to 2010, and the food at home CPI surged 4.8% in 2011. This isn’t normal, inflation, so what is causing the steady uptick in food prices? Food prices are really a global issue
