The Impact Of Food Waste On Society And The Environment

The research question being investigated is how food waste affects society and the environment. To get a general idea of the overall subject of “food waste,” the search engine Google was used to look up this term. Some pages appearing on the first page of results were looked into, including some news articles on the topic. This general understanding of the issue prompted more questions to look into. The Google Scholar website was used by entering “food waste” in the search bar. The default setting brought up many articles on the subject, but the option of articles “Since 2015” was utilized to find more current papers. There was a wide range of subjects in these results, so different search terms, like “food waste economic effects,” helped yield more specific findings. The research was continued

Food that is discarded, lost or uneaten contributes to a number of problems. Methane and carbon dioxide emissions are a burden on the planet, causing global climate change, and wasted food is piling up in landfills. Many resources are used to grow and transport food: fuel for tractors and transportation, water to nourish the plants or animal, labor at all levels of the supply chain, and energy used to maintain food at a safe temperature. These factors generate wasted money and resources for food that is never consumed. There can be efforts at every part of the food supply chain to reduce loss and maximize efficiency. Consumers can become more aware of the impacts of food waste and make personal efforts to reduce their share, by buying only what they need and will eat, or maybe by learning about preservation practices or using leftovers. Restaurants and food retailers can take advantage of incentives and tax breaks by donating food to pantries and shelters. It is important to continue to study the aspects of food waste and reduce the loss over time to effectively feed the