ACROSS THE SUPPLY CHAIN A US PERSPECTIVE ON A GLOBAL PROBLEM EDITED BY ZHENGXIA DOU • JAMES D. FERGUSON • DAVID T. GALLIGAN ALAN M. KELLY • STEVEN M. FINN • ROBERT GIEGENGACK Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST): www.cast-science.org CAST assembles, interprets, and communicates credible science-based information regionally, nationally, and internationally to legislators, regulators, policymakers, the media, the private sector, and the public. CAST is a nonprofit organization composed of scientific societies and many individual, student, company, nonprofit, and associate society members. CAST’s Board of Directors is composed of representatives of the scientific societies, commercial companies, and nonprofit or trade organizations. CAST was established in 1972 as a result of a meeting sponsored in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences, National Research Council. The authors named in each publication are responsible for the contents. The CAST Board of Directors is responsible for the policies and procedures followed in developing, processing, and disseminating the documents produced. FOOD WASTE ACROSS THE SUPPLY CHAIN A U.S. PERSPECTIVE ON A GLOBAL PROBLEM Edited by Zhengxia Dou, James D. Ferguson, David T. Galligan, Alan M. Kelly, Steven M. Finn, and Robert Giegengack University of Pennsylvania Food waste across the supply chain: a U.S. perspective on a global problem Edited by Zhengxia Dou, James D. Ferguson, David T. Galligan, Alan M. Kelly, Steven M. Finn, and Robert Giegengack 358 pages, 15.2 × 22.9 cm ISBN 978-1-887383-35-6 ISSN 0194-407x © 2016 by the Council for Agricultural Science and Technology CAST, Ames, Iowa All rights reserved Contents Figures v Tables viii Contributors ix Preface xiii Introduction Understanding Food Loss and Waste Across the U.S. Supply 1 Chain: Reduction, Recovery, Recycling Zhengxia Dou Part One: Food loss and waste in the context of sustainably feeding the world 1 Global Food Loss and Food Waste and the Environmental 7 Footprint Barbara Ekwall 2 Use of Natural Resources in the Global Food System 20 Robert Giegengack 3 Food Loss in the United States at the Retail and Consumer 43 Levels Jean C. Buzby and Hodan F. Wells 4 Wasted Food, Wasted Resources: Land, Irrigation Water, and 53 Nutrients Associated with Food Wastage in the U.S. John D. Toth and Zhengxia Dou 5 Food Waste and Food Security in a Globalizing World: The 68 Social Factor Brian Spooner Part Two: Consumer food behavior 6 Wasted Food: U.S. Consumers’ Reported Awareness, Attitudes, 83 and Behaviors Roni A. Neff, Marie L. Spiker, and Patricia L. Truant 7 A Review of Consumer Food Wasting Behavior 110 Brittany Hartmire, Jane Kauer, and Zhengxia Dou 8 Variety, Abundance, and Perfection: Exploring the Cyclical 125 Behavior of Waste Creation in the Retail Marketplace Emily M. Moscato and John L. Stanton 9 Quantifying Food Waste Streams at a College Campus Dining 137 Hall Alexandra Cirone, Elena Crouch, Christine Kim, and Gomian Konneh Contents 10 Lunch at a Philadelphia Elementary School: What and How 153 Much is Being Thrown Away? Jarrett Stein, Jessica Zha, Ethen Grant, and Jibreel Powers 11 Wasted Food: From Conundrum to Clarity 174 Jonathan Bloom and Steven M. Finn Part Three: Food waste reduction, recovery, and recycling 12 Food Handling and Waste Reduction in the Food Industry 190 David Masser, Dave Stangis, Yasmin Siddiqi, and Andrew Shakman 13 Food Rescue to Feed the Hungry: National, Regional, and Local 203 Success Stories Karen Hanner, Cathy Snyder, Steven M. Waldmann, and Leah Oppenheimer 14 Food Too Good to Waste: An EPA Project on Household Food 220 Waste Reduction Thomas O’Donnell 15 Food Waste as Animal Feed 235 James D. Ferguson 16 The Last Resort Before Landfill: Food Waste Composting in the 262 U.S.: An Overview Nora Goldstein 17 Food Waste Composting on a Bahamas Resort: Barriers 271 Encountered and Lessons Learned Kathleen Sullivan-Sealey and Jarrell Smith Part Four: Save food reduce waste – policies, the law 18 Targeting Federal Programs and Policies to Combat Food Loss 286 and Waste Elise Golan 19 Food Recovery, Donation, and the Law 299 Nicole M. Civita Summary and Recommendations 339 Zhengxia Dou, James D. Ferguson, David T. Galligan, Alan M. Kelly, Steven M. Finn, and Robert Giegengack iv Figures 1.1 Global food loss and waste 8 1.2 The trajectory of undernourishment in developing regions: actual 10 and projected progress towards the MGD and WFS targets 1.3 The acceleration of global urbanization, 1950-2050 11 1.4 Per capita food loss and waste, at consumption and pre- 13 consumption stages, in different regions. Source: FAO 2011 1.5 Economic and physical water scarcity 14 1.6 Contribution of each commodity to food loss and waste and to 15 blue water footprint 1.7 Country areas: top 20 countries (FAOSTAT) vs. food loss and 15 waste 1.8 Contribution of each commodity to food loss, waste and land 16 occupation 1.9 Total greenhouse gas emissions: top 20 countries vs. food 17 wastage 1.10 Contribution of each commodity to food loss and waste and 18 carbon footprint 2.1 Energy subsidies for various food crops. The energy history of 26 the U.S. food system is shown for comparison 2.2 The Hydrologic Cycle 27 2.3 Distribution of the Earth’s water 28 2.4 Human use of water 29 3.1 Broccoli loss in the food supply chain 44 3.2 The USDA-ERS Food Availability Data System 46 3.3 Quantity losses at the consumer level are larger than retail level 49 losses for all categories except added fats and oils 3.4 The top three food groups in terms of annual food loss vary 50 depending on if measured by amount, value or calories 4.1 Partitioning of the food supply in the U.S. in 2012, consumption 57 and distribution of losses and waste across the food supply chain. Food supply was 518 billion lbs 4.2 Percent of total crop acreage embedded in consumed food and 60 losses by sector of the food chain. Total harvested area was 156 million acres 4.3 Total N-P-K fertilizer applications embedded in food losses by 61 sector of the food chain. Values are the percent of the 33 billion lbs. of fertilizer either in primary consumption or in losses and waste 4.4 Percent of total irrigation water that was embedded in consumed 63 food or food losses by sector of the food chain. Irrigation applications were 18 trillion gallons 6.1 Reported Importance of Motivations to Reduce Food Discards. 93 Responses to four-point Likert-type questions about eight Figures possible motivations for reducing the amount of food discarded. Percentages indicate the proportion of respondents who chose each response, adjusted to 100 6.2 Agreement with Statements Related to Discarding Food. 94 Responses regarding eight possible reasons for discarding food. Percentages indicate the proportion of respondents who chose each response 6.3 Reported Frequency of Shopping Behaviors. Responses to five- 95 point Likert-type questions about the frequency of performing nine behaviors related to food shopping. Percentages indicate the proportion of respondents who chose each response. Behaviors classified as “food waste reducing” are italicized; behaviors classified as “food waste promoting” are non-italicized 6.4 Reported Frequency of Food Preparation Behaviors. Responses 95 to three-point Likert-type questions about the frequency of performing nine behaviors related to food preparation. Percentages indicate the proportion of respondents who chose each response. Behaviors classified as “food waste reducing” are italicized; behaviors classified as “food waste promoting” are non-italicized 6.S1 Desired information to assist in reducing food discards 107 6.S2 Changes retailers could make to reduce food discards 107 6.S3 Products for which respondents want smaller packages 108 6.S4 Potentially unaccepted restaurant changes that respondents 108 consider acceptable 6.S5 Restaurant changes that would be helpful 109 9.1 Food Waste Streams: Proportion 143 9.2 Reasons for Discarding Food 143 10.1 Example school lunch menu for the School District of 155 Philadelphia 10.2 Graphic representation of collaboratively planning data 159 collection and analysis methods 10.3 Summary of student responses to questionnaire on attitudes and 165 behaviors related to school food 12.1 Example of LeanPath’s automated tracking systems allow users 200 to see the estimated monetary value of what they are throwing away, which helps raise awareness and change behaviors 13.1 Coordinating distribution of fresh produce 212 13.2 WWI National War Garden Commission Poster 219 14.1 Food loss and waste from the U.S. supply chain 221 14.2 Templates used in the Behavior Change Toolkit 224 14.3 Edible food waste reduction among Rhode Island FTGTW pilot 229 project participants 14.4 Example of a Food Too Good to Waste pilot budget 232 17.1 Solid waste management costs are often hidden from the resort 272 operator and tourists in The Bahamas. Resorts pay for the storage vi Figures and hauling of trash, but seldom pay tipping fees to manage landfills. The “underwater” or hidden costs of solid waste on islands include control of flies and rats, groundwater pollution, air pollution and public health impacts 17.2 Visual illustrating the location of the trash compactor in relation 276 to the food and supply delivery station for Sandals Emerald Bay. The unsorted trash adjacent to the food loading dock creates challenges with food safety and hygiene 17.3 Exuma Regional Sanitary Landfill solid waste annual arrivals 277 from 2006 projected through 2016. Sandals Emerald Bay purchased the property in 2010, and after remodeling, began operating in 2011. High food waste composition of the solid waste results in about 320,000 kg of nitrogen added to ground water and adjacent wetlands 17.4 Map illustration the footprint of the Sandals Emerald Bay resort, 280 and Exuma Regional Sanitary Landfill.