Pate 1

Carter Pate

Professor Johnson

English 1021-505

18 July 2021

Peer Review for the Research Essay

A local student-run, non-profit organization named JEE Foods spends their after

school hours rescuing food from grocery stores and restaurants in hopes of ending food

waste and hunger in their community. The members of the organization can also be

found distributing food from semi-trucks in the parking lot of their high school on

Saturday mornings. It is one small way to try and solve a massive social and

environmental problem: food waste. These students are determined to end food waste

and “starve out hunger” and are on track to rescue 6.5 million pounds of food in 2021. In

fact, they are currently rescuing nearly 200,000 pounds of food a week. They receive or

rescue food from providers such as the USDA, local farmers, and restaurants, and then

distribute the food to members of the community who would otherwise go hungry. They

are just one example of a group trying to combat an ever-growing problem. But, this

problem is complicated and will take so much more than a small organization like JEE

to solve. A common misconception is that there is not enough food for all of the people

in the world and if we simply produced more food, no one would go hungry. However, as

the students at JEE foods are proving, there is enough food in the world, but that food is

simply not being handled properly. With proper storage, labeling, product development,

handling, and cooking methods, we can minimize food waste and its impact on the

environment, and end hunger.

 Pate 2

Food waste is a major issue in the United States. It has become so troublesome

that, according to the USDA, 30-40 percent of the food supply is wasted (Buzby n.a.).

That's an estimated 133 billion pounds and $161 billion worth of food! The fact that over

one million people go hungry every day in the United States indicates that this is a

massive social issue. Add in the startling fact that landfills are being filled with spoiled

food, and we also have a real environmental issue to solve as well. The problem isn’t

new, but it is certainly increasing and it is time to finally address the situation and come

up with solutions.

To begin to understand this problem, we need to look at our country’s history.

Major food waste emerged during the Industrial Revolution in the late 1800's and early

1900’s. According to Utah State University, during this time, “Food became

commercialized and went from farm to table and farm to factory to table. Consequently,

families started to waste food because it was less expensive and more accessible”

(Utah State University n.a). Also around this time, the modern garbage disposal was

introduced, and this “...meant that products could be conveniently thrown out without a

second thought” (Coulter-Low 2016). Prior to this, people grew their own food and,

because it was a labor intensive process, people were more inclined to grow what they

needed and not squander any of their resources. Once industrialization came into play,

responsible food habits diminished. Not until the 1960’s did people begin to campaign

for society to be more respectful of mother nature. But, today’s food waste issues prove

that these campaigns were not enough.

Throughout the years, the amount of food wasted has only increased, with little

efforts to acknowledge and stop wasteful practices. The Care and Share Food Bank
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created a chart to depict the amount of food wasted in the United States from

1960-2012. The chart shows a spike of increase after 1980, and in the year 2000 there

was a total estimated 30 million tons of food wasted. This amount continued to rise until

2012 where there was nearly 35 million tons of food wasted.

Fig. 1. This chart shows the amount of food Americans waste each year from

1960-2012 (Poore 2015).

Now, according to Nutrition Connect, in 2020 nearly 40 million tons of food were

wasted. That’s a 10 million ton increase in a decade. It’s a real crisis that will continue to

grow if a concerted effort is not made to stop food waste. It’s deplorable that people are

going hungry when food is actually available. Feeding America projects that over 42

million people went hungry in the US during the corona-virus pandemic. This is about

8% of the US population going hungry (Feeding America 2020). Numbers like these are

simply unacceptable in a society that has the resources to prevent hunger. The good

news is that, in recent years, strategies have been implemented to minimize food waste
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around the world. Using these strategies can help consumers save money, protect the

environment, and help the USDA reach their goal of cutting food waste in half by 2030.

But first, one must really understand the root cause of food waste before real solutions

can be implemented.

While ending hunger is the most important reason to focus on ending food waste,

food rescue is about more than that. Food waste actually has a negative impact on our

environment. According to research data done by the USDA, 218.9 pounds of food go

to waste each year per person (Buzby n.a). This food is then sent to landfills where it

rots and produces methane, a greenhouse gas more potent than carbon dioxide. These

greenhouse gases pollute the environment and destroy earth’s climate. According to

Our World In Data, “Food waste is responsible for 6% of global greenhouse gas

emissions” (Ritchie 2020). Greenhouse gases are one of the major pollutants that are

causing global warming and the environmental problems we have on Earth. Any

environmentally conscious person can understand that eliminating food waste can

prevent these greenhouse gases from being emitted, and can provide longevity for our

planet Earth.

In order to help end hunger and stop harming the environment, one must

understand the ways food is currently being wasted. Somewhat surprisingly, food waste

is not only caused by the consumer, but, in some cases, it is also caused by the

manufacturer. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has analyzed this

issue. The USDA is the federal executive department responsible for developing and

executing federal laws related to farming, forestry, rural economic development, and

food. It was founded by Abraham Lincoln in 1862 and is the leading authority on food in
 Pate 5

the United States. “Between the farm gate and retail stages, food loss can arise from

problems during drying, milling, transporting, or processing that expose food to damage

by insects, rodents, birds, molds, and bacteria. At the retail level, equipment malfunction

(such as faulty cold storage), over-ordering, and culling of blemished produce can result

in food loss” (Buzby n.a.). This illustrates again the way that industrialization of food has

impacted waste. By eliminating the farm to table process and adding in so many steps

to get food to the consumer, waste has grown. Even more alarming, according to The

Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), “52 percent of produce grown in this

country [US] is wasted because it never gets harvested, is never sold to consumers, or

is lost or spoiled during storage or transit” (Powers 2017). Imagine fields full of good,

nutritious food never being harvested or sitting on a truck and rotting before it can be

consumed. It’s unacceptable. Focusing on ways to fix these issues that arise before

consumers interact with the food can greatly reduce the amount of food wasted.

Another way food is wasted is by ‘Consumer-facing Businesses’ who deal

directly with people who buy products or services, such as grocery stores and

restaurants. Feeding America states that 40% or 50 billion pounds of food that is wasted

is caused by ‘Consumer-facing Businesses’ (Feeding America 2020). They created a

chart to depict the different causes of this food waste. The largest amount of food waste

in this category is supermarkets, grocery stores, and distribution centers. These are

responsible for 16 billion pounds of food wasted. Food is often incorrectly labeled,

stored, and handled by these businesses. This causes the food to go bad and be sent

to the landfills. For example, if a grocery store mishandles cases of milk, then all of it

must be thrown out, leading to less milk for the consumer and more toxic products in the
 Pate 6

landfills. It happens all too often.

Fig. 2. This is the chart created by Feeding America that depicts the different

causes of food waste (Feeding America 2020).

The next largest category of consumer-facing business food waste is

‘Full-service Restaurants’ which are responsible for 14 billion pounds of food wasted

(Feeding America 2020). Restaurants are known for their generous portions and many

restaurant-goers order more food than they can eat in one sitting. Many people leave

these leftovers on the table and then they are disposed of by the restaurant. This food

is then thrown away and left to rot because restaurants can not save any leftover food.

For example, if a sit-down restaurant puts a basket of bread on a table, and the diners

never even touch it, that entire basket of bread must be thrown out. It’s a huge waste

and completely unnecessary. If these businesses simply implemented basic strategies

to minimize food waste, then billions of pounds of food would be saved every year. In
 Pate 7

the example of the bread basket, they could simply go to a policy of having diners

request the basket, instead of automatically sitting it on every table, whether the

customer wants to eat the bread or not. Also, if consumers properly took care of food,

and ordered the correct portion sizes or responsibly packed food up to eat at home

later, then billions of pounds of food would be saved.

These examples of food waste can be reduced by implementing a few key

strategies. Some of these strategies include, teaching consumers about shopping and

meal planning, standardizing date labels, and innovations to extend the shelf life of

foods. One way manufacturers can teach consumers about shopping and meal planning

and standardize date labels is by creating innovative packaging. The manufacturer can

help consumers stop wasting food by printing tips and tricks for cooking leftover foods,

how to correctly store the food, and how to compost unusable leftovers on packaging.

This will educate the consumer and encourage them to think more creatively and

become more conscientious about food. The manufacturer can also provide

standardized date labels that make it clear to the consumer whether the date on a label

indicates that the food is expired or if the product is simply no longer at it’s very best

quality. Currently, people tend to throw out food that is labeled “best by” once it has

reached the date. The truth is that this food is not expired or spoiled; it’s just not at its

very best quality. It is, however, perfectly good food that can be eaten and enjoyed. It

should not be wasted.

Another idea for ways manufacturers can help consumers is by creating

innovative packaging that comes in a range of portion sizes. Multiple portion sizes

allows for the consumer to choose the one that fits their needs best. For example,
 Pate 8

smaller packaging sizes, such as half loaves of bread, make more sense for consumers

who live alone and can not eat a full loaf before it spoils. Likewise, allowing consumers

to select the number of eggs they would like, rather than having eggs prepackaged,

could cut down on food going to waste in a consumer’s home. The manufacturer can

also help by creating packaging that prolongs the shelf life of many foods. For example,

the manufacturer can embed “silver nanoparticles into plastic milk storage bottles to

double the length of time before milk spoils” (Power 2017). The manufacturer can also

extend the shelflife of many foods by using natural preservatives. These strategies will

result in a win-win for the manufacturer as it promotes sustainability and is bound to

increase their profits by reducing waste.

Food distributors also play a vital role in minimizing food waste. Food distributors

include grocery stores and restaurants that receive food from manufacturers. In

America, 40% of food waste is caused by food distributors and incorrect labeling,

storage, and handling are all ways food is wasted by food distributors (Buzby n.a.).

Grocery stores often print their own labels that are meant to mark the “sell by” or “use

by” date. However, these labels are very confusing to the consumer and some food is

thrown away because of this confusion. Storage is also a major cause of food waste by

food distributors. Improper storage can lead to thousands of pounds of food being

wasted in just a few hours. Improper storage is also causing major effects globally. “In

less developed countries, this waste is due to lack of infrastructure and knowledge to

keep food fresh. For example, India loses 30–40% of its produce because retail and

wholesalers lack cold storage” (Erdman 2018). Something as simple as proper

refrigeration could help. Fixing these storage errors are crucial for stopping food waste
 Pate 9

and ending hunger. Food distributors also waste food by improperly handling the food.

For example, some food is wasted by restaurants when food does not sell, such as

bread and pastries at a bakery, because most food is thrown away at the end of day.

However, one way to reduce this type of food loss and waste is to simply redistribute

food by giving it to food banks and similar outreach groups. Restaurants and grocery

stores with excess food can donate to organizations who rescue food and then

distribute it to their community. Not only is this saving food that would otherwise be

wasted, but this is also feeding people in need. No one can argue with this common

sense approach.

If both the manufacturer and food distributors can reduce food waste, so can the

consumer. A few small changes in a person’s daily life can have a big impact.

Consumers also tend to cause food waste because of improper storage and unsuitable

cooking methods. Many consumers lack proper storage for food or simply do not know

how to store their food. Consumers can use airtight containers to keep food fresh and

keep insects out of food. This also prolongs the shelf life of certain foods by using smart

storage techniques and proper refrigeration. Consumers can also make a conscious

effort to choose to buy ugly or misshapen fruits and vegetables. Bruised and misshaped

foods are often thrown away because they do not meet arbitrary cosmetic standards.

However, the majority of the time these foods taste exactly the same as their more

aesthetically pleasing counterparts! It is time people changed how they think about food.

In most cases, these misshaped foods can also be used in many recipes. For example

you can use ugly fruits to make baked pies or cobblers, or even mix them into delicious

smoothies.
 Pate 10

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) advocates for the use of ugly or

misshapen foods as a perfect way for consumers to minimize food waste. The

Environmental Protection Agency is an independent executive agency of the United

States federal government tasked with environmental protection matters. It was founded

in 1970 by President Richard Nixon. The EPA recommends cooking and preparing

perishable foods and then freezing them so that you can eat them later in the month.

Most fruit, vegetables and meats can safely be handled this way. The EPA recommends

making casseroles, stir-fries, frittatas, soups, and smoothies with your leftovers so that

you do not waste any food (EPA 2021). Implementing these types of useful cooking

techniques and proper storage can definitely have a positive impact on the amount of

food wasted by consumers. It just takes some planning and effort on the part of the

consumer.

Even though the simple techniques described for both the manufacturers and

consumers can greatly diminish food waste and help end hunger, some people still

insist that the real cause of hunger is a lack of food. This simply is not true. Evidence of

this includes the fact that the federal government is currently able to provide free

breakfasts and lunches for every school-age child in the United States. When arguing to

support students with meals at school, Representative Fudge co-introduce the

Pandemic Child Hunger Prevention Act in 2020 and stated, “...we cannot forget about

the students who rely on school meals as their only primary source of food and

nutrition...allow children to focus on their education, rather than the uncertainty of where

they will get their next meal. No child should have to learn on an empty stomach”

(Justice 2020). So for this past school year, 2020-2021, all school children were eligible
 Pate 11

to receive free breakfast and lunch at school. These meals are important because many

students are deprived of meals outside of school because their families can not afford

enough food. The issue is not that food is not available; it’s a cost issue for these

families. However, if less food was wasted in our society in general, and more food was

donated to food banks or food rescue organizations, then there would be plenty of food

for every child. The Pandemic Child Hunger Prevention Act was successful during the

2020-2021 school year, and according to The Ohio Department of Education, “The

Department received approval to offer free breakfast and free lunch to all students

attending schools on the national school lunch program through the entire 2021-2022

school year” (The Ohio Department of Education 2021). The Ohio Department of

Education extended and modified the Act for the 2021-2022 school year so that every

child will be provided with a meal. If the government is able to provide breakfast and

lunch to the 55+ million students in the United States every day, then there is clearly

plenty of food to go around. If there was an actual food shortage, the government would

not be able to provide so much food to the nation’s youth. The real issue that we are

facing is the fact that food waste is causing students to go hungry outside of school. By

getting manufacturers and consumers to adopt some simple food preservation methods,

we can ensure that no household is left in want of food.

In conclusion, food waste is both a serious social and environmental problem.

However, with proper storage, labeling, product development, handling, and cooking

methods, we can minimize food waste and its impact on the environment, and end

hunger in the world. Organizations like the student-run JEE Foods work around the

clock as a middleman to connect food distributors such as restaurants and grocery

 Pate 12

stores with food banks and organizations that help people in need. They pickup leftover

food that would otherwise be wasted from local businesses and then deliver the food to

people in need. This is just one example of people trying to fight hunger through food

rescue. If more people come together and rescue food the way the students of JEE do,

we will be able to eliminate hunger and stop polluting the environment.

 Pate 13

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