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Dec 02 , 2021Views : 25239
New EPA Report Highlights Climate Impacts of Wasted Food
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is publishing a quantitative report underscoring the importance of reducing food waste to address climate change. This initial report, From Farm to Kitchen: The Environmental Impacts of Food Waste, analyzes the environmental impacts of food loss and waste (FLW) throughout the food supply chain—from farm to kitchen. EPA’s follow-up report, expected to be published in early 2022, will focus on the impacts of different end of life solutions for food waste, like composting and anaerobic digestion.
The report draws from peer-reviewed academic studies and government publications to produce the most robust estimates for total food loss and waste and its environmental impacts. It also references non-governmental literature (such as NRDC reports) to provide context. The findings and conclusions that EPA makes in the report are in line with what we published in Wasted (2017), while also providing 2021 estimates of where food waste is coming from and what its impacts are.
Each year, U.S. FLW from farm to kitchen embodies the same GHG emissions as 42 coal fired power plants. The food waste reduction strategy with the greatest environmental benefits is not recycling, it is prevention. If we meet our national 2030 goal of cutting FLW by 50%, we could reduce the equivalent of GHGs emissions from 23 coal fired power plants every year.
The report draws from peer-reviewed academic studies and government publications to produce the most robust estimates for total food loss and waste and its environmental impacts. It also references non-governmental literature (such as NRDC reports) to provide context. The findings and conclusions that EPA makes in the report are in line with what we published in Wasted (2017), while also providing 2021 estimates of where food waste is coming from and what its impacts are.
Each year, U.S. FLW from farm to kitchen embodies the same GHG emissions as 42 coal fired power plants. The food waste reduction strategy with the greatest environmental benefits is not recycling, it is prevention. If we meet our national 2030 goal of cutting FLW by 50%, we could reduce the equivalent of GHGs emissions from 23 coal fired power plants every year.
Resource :
1. https://www.nrdc.org/experts/nina-sevilla/new-epa-report-highlights-climate-impacts-wasted-food
