Food Waste

About one-third of all the food produced in the world is never eaten. It gets thrown away in homes, restaurants, and stores. When food ends up in landfills, it rots and produces a gas that warms the planet. Reducing food waste helps fight hunger and climate change at the same time.

Why Food Gets Wasted

Food is wasted for many reasons. Stores throw away fruits and vegetables that do not look perfect. People buy more food than they can eat before it goes bad. Restaurants serve portions that are too large. Even on farms, some food is left unharvested because it costs too much to pick.

What You Can Do

There are many easy ways to waste less food. Plan meals before shopping so you only buy what you need. Use leftovers for new meals instead of throwing them out. Learn the difference between sell by and use by dates. Composting food scraps keeps them out of landfills and creates rich soil for gardens.

Fun Facts

• If food waste were a country, it would be the third largest producer of greenhouse gases in the world!
• Americans throw away about 80 billion pounds of food each year.
• An ugly or oddly shaped fruit is just as healthy and delicious as a perfect-looking one.

Did You Know?

Some grocery stores now sell imperfect fruits and vegetables at a discount to reduce food waste!