Minimizing Food Waste: A Systems Approach with a Resource Valuation Perspective

Presentation for the US Environmental Protection Agency

Steven M. Finn

www.responsecology.com

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Disclaimer

• This presentation has been provided as part of EPA’s Sustainable Food Management Webinar Series. This document does not constitute EPA policy. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation of use. Links to non-EPA websites do not imply any official EPA endorsement of or a responsibility for the opinions, ideas, data, or products presented at those locations or guarantee the validity of the information provided. Links to non-EPA servers are provided solely as a pointer to information that might be useful to EPA staff and public.

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Introduction

Food waste in the US – and globally – is a critical problem requiring systemic change with a long-term sustainability focus

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Our Current Illusion

“Industrialized nations need to learn what it means to live in scarcity – because the appearance of infinite abundance is an illusion.” Tristram Stuart, Waste. 2009.

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The Illusion Persists

• It is reflected in our everyday attitudes and actions

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJs_dnj6g_M&feature=relmfu

• Do we find this commercial offensive?• What does it say about our collective mindset?

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Valuing Food and Resources

• How much do we value food?

• The resources to produce it?

• How often do we consider the weaknesses of the food system, and the waste that results?

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The Problem in Numbers

• Roughly one third of all edible food produced annually for human consumption goes to waste – about 1.3 billion tons per year (Gustavson, et al. www.fao.org, 2011)

• Roughly 50% of food is wasted from field to fork (Lundqvist, 2008)

• Waste estimate in US:100 billion lbs. of food/yr.(Enough to eliminate hunger)(www.ampleharvest.org)

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The Big Disconnect

We waste roughly 30-50% of food produced, yet:• Roughly 870 million people around the world or

1 in 8) are hungry, with more than 850 million in developing countries (FAO, 2012)

• In the US, 50 million people lived in food insecure households in 2011 (Feeding America, 2012).

• We need to feed another 2 billion by 2050• Resources are limited/environment is

challenged

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A Dysfunctional Circle

Current Food System: Roughly half of food lost along the way

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The Impact of Dysfunction

• We’re producing more than we need in developed countries

• At every stage we are devoting finite resources to produce food that we eventually discard

• In the final stages we inflict even more harm on the environment by disposing of food that we did not use (methane emissions, groundwater)

• We fail to divert billions of tons of excess food to eliminate hunger

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The Result: Wasted Nutrition & Resources

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A Time for Change

• Change is needed now• At multiple levels• We need to “re-think”

the food system using a systems approach and a resource valuation perspective

• The problem of food waste needs to be on the national agenda in the US

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Choices Regarding Excess Food

EPA Hierarchy view: • How do we make this second nature for all?

• How do we go even further?

• It’s about valuing our resources, especially our food

• Requires a long term versus short term view

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Mindset Change

We need mindset change for sustainable behavior:• Social impact• Environmental impact• Resource Efficiency (i.e. people, planet, profit)

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Limited Resources

• We’ve caught on to the need to conserve resources to some degree, but much less so with excess food

We need to:• Value our food more• Value the resources used to produce our food• Utilize resources efficiently and sustainably; focus on

minimizing waste • Example: Consider food waste in developing countries

versus developed countries (opposite); infrastructure and mindset issues

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Designing for Change• Food system must be

redesigned for the ideal• Systems approach; idealized

design that values resources for sustainable performance

• Recognition of need to feed 9 billion by 2050; and rising incomes put more strain on resources worldwide

• Minimize waste, efficiently capture and redirect excess food

• Shift toward local and regenerative production

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Key Themes to Consider• Awareness• Education• Mindset Change – Individual, Consumer, Government• Incentives – Financial, Environmental, Social• Long Term Thinking• Public-Private Partnerships• Pilot Projects – Local• Promote Success• Measurement – Show value• National /Global Focus

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Raising the Awareness Level• Overcome the discomfort• Communicate the statistics

on food waste – they are powerful

Connect them to:• Hunger• Environmental harm • Wasted resourcesBehavior change depends on awareness fueling desire for positive action

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Education• Educated consumers are critical toward demand efforts to minimize

food waste, or recover and distribute excess, from business and government

• Educate producers on how to maximize donations of excess• Educate business on savings from redirecting excess food• Tie to health care costs of obesity• Tie to environmental issues• Reestablish connection to land; and origin/value of food products• New programs on food security and challenges related to population• Start early in schools

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Mindset Change• Make the connection between hunger

and food waste personal• Change the “culture of abundance”

mindset; we can’t afford it• We need a new “compact” between the

consumer and the food industry• Change attitudes toward imperfections

(consumer) and accepted waste (food retailers) (Bloom 2010)

• Trash is too easy; change operations to donate or freeze excess for later distribution to the needy

• Overcome liability fears; take extra steps to achieve food recovery in accordance with Good Samaritan law

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Incentives• Increase cost of food to landfill• Deductions for direct donations, reprocessing

work, and infrastructure to enable recovery • Logistics support and backhauls (Rauch, 2011)• Industry – zero waste• Positive publicity • CSR/Community building

Discarded steaks

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Think Long Term

“At present we are stealing the future, selling it in the present, and calling it gross domestic product. We can just as easily have an economy that is based on healing the future instead of stealing it.” (Hawken, 2009)

• Current efforts to reduce food waste (including food recovery) are important to fill immediate needs

• Much potential for partnerships; they provide valuable learning for food system redesign

• Long term systems view with a sustainability focus is essential to reduce serious cost of food waste

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Creative Partnerships• Seek growers or retailers with excess• Partner with food banks or community for labor• Seek relationships where a portion of production

goes directly to food agency• Conversion facilities at retailers; reprocess and flash freeze for distribution• Larger scale: New Deal-type projects – match excess

food to be harvested and converted with those seeking jobs

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Pilot Projects• Connecting with farmers• Most farmers have excess

periodically• Create partnerships to capture excess

food and redistribute• Communicate benefits in terms of

financial savings, social and environment benefits

• Establish reliable pick-ups to ensure stability

• Get creative with reprocessing ideas

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Build on Successful Programs

• Success breeds success; spreads elsewhere• Recent food recovery programs in PA have captured

tens of thousands of pounds of produce that would have gone to waste

• Healthy competition• Promote local connections to ease logistics of food

recovery• Harness the power of dedicated individuals (the

power of small) in local communities• Get creative with reprocessing ideas

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Measure• Quantify the cost impact of food losses more clearly• Quantify the positive impact of reducing food waste in

terms of resource benefits (water, air, soil)• Use results to drive policy

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National (US) and Global Focus

• Add to the political agenda (take lesson from Europe)

• US take on leadership role• Establish National Commission in US for driving

educational effort and legislation• National Ad campaign• Partnerships with industry and other countries• Infrastructure assistance to developing

countries

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Lessons from Europe

• European Parliament has addressed food waste; we need a national commission in the US to coordinate similar action

• http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/pressroom/content/20120118IPR35648/html/Parliament-calls-for-urgent-measures-to-halve-food-wastage-in-the-EU

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Questions?

For additional information, please contact Steven M. Finn at info@responsecology.com

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References• Bloom, American Wasteland, 2010• FAO, SOFI report, 2012• Finn, Sustainable Food Recovery Programs, 2011• Gustavson et al., Global Food Losses and Food Waste, 2011• Hawken, University of Portland Commencement Address,

2009• Lundqvist, SIWI Policy Brief, 2008• Rauch, Solving the American Food Paradox, 2011• Stuart, Waste: Uncovering the Global Food Scandal, 2009• www.ampleharvest.org • www.feedingamerica.org