1 in 7 Americans are food insecure, which means they are often hungry with no food to eat, yet we produce enough food to feed every American two times over. That’s about $165 billion worth of food that is not being eaten. So where’s all that extra food? Well it’s in our dumpsters and it’s in our landfills!
Not only is it a complete shame to dump this perfectly good food when we could be feeding our fellow Americans but it also causes a massive negative impact on our environment. When we waste food we also waste the water, energy, fossil fuels, and time that it took to produce it. Then we waste resources in transporting it to the stores and then again we waste precious resources in transporting it to the landfills. Then the food rots in the landfills and emits Carbon Dioxide, which is a leading contributor to climate change. Food waste is the root of many of our greatest social issues.
We need grocery stores to start practicing responsible business and start caring about people and the planet, not just profit. Grocery stores need to stop dumping and start donating to non-profits like Feeding America and the thousands of others out there that can take donations of excess food and get it to our fellow Americans in need. And the food that is no longer able to be donated should be composted and the packaging recycled.
The foods there. The resources are there. And the law is on our side with the Good Samaritan Food Act that waves liability of grocery stores and restaurants and encourages them to donate their good edible food.
Before you are eleven short films that can bring you up to speed with our national and global food waste crisis. Maybe they don’t encompass exactly everything you need to know about food waste but they will inform you on every aspect of the issue from the staggering waste statistics and the affect that has on the earth and people to examples of what people just like you are doing to get involved and the many solutions that are already in place but need to expand. The films add up to about 45 minutes and you’ll scroll away from this page highly informed and ready take action to reduce food waste in America!
With thousands of passionate individuals currently working on this cause we are on track to drastically reduce food waste. Be a part of this revolution!
Food Waste – A Story of Excess
Food Wastage Footprint
Food Wastage Footprint 2
Food Forward: Rescue Produce – Feed the Hungry
(ignore lack of preview image, click and this will play)
Tristram Stuart: The Global Food Waste Scandal
Gleaning Network UK
Dumpster Diving Across America with Rob Greenfield
Intermarché – “Inglorious Fruits and Vegetables”
How One Chicago Restaurant Went Totally Trash-Free
Just Eat It- A food waste story (Trailer)
Dive! (Trailer)