Foley, Jonathan

Reich, Alexander

University of Minnesota Digital Conservancy

foodpolicy.umn.edu | The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer. 
The Food Policy Research Center, University of Minnesota, is supported by the National Institute on Food and Agriculture, USDA.
 
 
 
BRIEFISSUE
  
April 2014 
 
Food Loss and Waste in the US: The Science Behind the Supply Chain 
 
Authors: Author: Alexander H. Reich and Jonathan A. Foley, Institute on the Environment, University of Minnesota. 
Reviewed by a multidisciplinary team from the College of Liberal Arts, and the College of Veterinary Medicine and the School of Public 
Health; University of Minnesota. 
 
Accompanying video “Love Letter to Food” hosted on YouTube  
 
Summary of Findings: 
 Roughly 40% of the United States (US) food supply (1500 calories/person/day) is never eaten, which is among the 
highest rates of food lossi globally. Addressing this loss could help reduce food insecurity and the environmental impacts 
of agriculture. 
 Tremendous resources are used to produce uneaten food in the US: 30% of fertilizer, 31% of cropland, 25% of total 
freshwater consumption, and 2% of total energy consumption. 
 Food waste generated when people discard food in homes and foodservice accounts for 60% of food loss, is mostly 
avoidable, and is under-emphasized as an opportunity to improve the food system. 
 Targeting efforts on reducing waste of meat has great potential to benefit both the environment and the household budget. 
 Clarifying the meaning of date labels on foods could also reduce consumer food waste. 
____________________________________________________________________________________ 
Background 
Roughly 40% of the United States (US) food supply is never eaten.4 At 1500 food calories lost per person per day, that is 
twice as much as most other industrialized nations5 and 50% more than was lost in the 1970s.4 Producing food uses resources 
and causes environmental impacts, such as water pollution,6 soil erosion,7 and greenhouse gas emissions.8 Discarding food 
drains the food supply in a world with a growing demand.9 Despite the global importance of food loss, much remains 
unknown about its extent, characteristics, and causes. For instance, a 
landmark global study reports collectively for the US, Canada, Australia, 
and New Zealand: 17% of food loss occurs during harvest, 6% in handling 
and storage, 9% in processing, 7% in retail and distribution, and 61% in 
the consumption stage.5 The most comprehensive US study reports only 
retail and consumption losses (Table 1) and treats restaurants and 
households as the same entity.9 Food loss in the distribution, retail and 
consumption stages is called food wastei and presents a major opportunity 
to improve the efficiency of the food system. 
Producing uneaten food requires a major investment of resources: 30% of 
fertilizer use, 31% of cropland,10 25% of total freshwater consumption,4 
and 2% of total energy consumption.11 This food loss is the largest component of municipal solid waste incinerated or sent to 
landfills,12 where it creates methane.8 Meat has among the lowest rates of loss (Table 1),1, 9 but on a per pound basis, meat loss 
squanders the most calories13 and causes the greatest environmental impact,2 as feed and other resources used over the 
                                                            
i Definitions of food loss and waste vary. Food loss tends to refer to a decrease in mass or nutritional quality of food 
originally intended for human consumption,1, 2 and includes food waste, the food fit for human consumption that is discarded 
or spoils in retail, foodservice, and consumption.2, 3 
Table 1. Annual rates and values (per capita) 
of combined retail and consumer food loss9 
Added sweeteners 41% $21 
Added fats and oils 38% $43 
Dairy 31% $87 
Grains 31% $36 
Vegetables 30% $97 
Fruit 29% $64 
Eggs 28% $10 
Meat, poultry, and fish 26% $157 
Tree nuts and peanuts 15% $7 
foodpolicy.umn.edu | The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer. 
The Food Policy Research Center, University of Minnesota, is supported by the National Institute on Food and Agriculture, USDA.
 
 
 
lifetime of the animals increase the magnitude of the loss. Loss of meat also has the highest monetary value (Table 1).9 
Reducing food loss would likely reduce food prices,9 and presents opportunities to directly alleviate food insecurity through 
redistribution. If 30% of US food loss were redistributed, it could provide the total diet for nearly 50 million people,14 the 
number of Americans living in food insecure households.15 However, even though a majority of food loss is avoidable,10 
current distribution streams and income factors mean only some food could be recovered and reach food insecure populations. 
Causes of Food Loss and Waste 
Food loss occurs because food is perishable; it passes through complex supply chains between harvest and consumption; and 
it represents a small portion of total expenditures for many Americans.9 Thus, the convenience of wasting food often 
outweighs the cost. 
Food loss and waste have many causes, including: 
 Overplanting of crops to guarantee supply9 
 Edible crops left in the field due to diminishing returns on investments in harvesting9 
 Damage, contamination, or inefficiencies in harvest, storage, processing, and distribution9 
 High cosmetic standards leading to culling of visually imperfect products9, 14 
 Overstocked product displays at stores14 
 Inconsistent date labels that confuse consumers, leading to premature disposal 3, 14, 16, 17 
 Over-preparation, large portion sizes, and aversion to eating leftovers14 
 Lack of awareness about the occurrence and impacts of food waste14 
 
Initiatives to Reduce Food Loss and Waste 
In June 2013 the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) launched the 
US Food Waste Challenge, a joint effort of producer groups, processors, distributors, retailers, food service, and government 
with the goal of leading “a fundamental shift in how we think about and manage food and food waste in this country.”18 The 
EPA also runs a Food Recovery Challenge to help businesses and organizations measure and reduce their food loss. 
Organizations working to reduce food waste include the food industry’s Food Waste Reduction Alliance, hunger alleviation 
groups, and environmental non-governmental organizations (NGOs) like World Resources Institute, which is leading an effort 
to develop a global standard for measuring food loss and waste. This work should be complemented with further US-focused 
research, as much remains unknown about US food loss, especially regarding the relative importance of the causes of food 
waste. 
Recommended Actions 
 Standardize and clarify date labels on foods to help reduce consumer food waste.16 
 Target efforts on reducing waste of meat, which would benefit the environment2 and household budgets.9 
 Institute a national research program to identify the quantity and causes of food loss and waste as a step towards 
committing to reduction targets.5, 14 
 Create public awareness campaigns devoted to reducing consumer food waste. A United Kingdom campaign helped 
reduce household food waste by 19% from 2007 to 2012.19 
 
 
 
 
 
 
foodpolicy.umn.edu | The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer. 
The Food Policy Research Center, University of Minnesota, is supported by the National Institute on Food and Agriculture, USDA.
 
 
 
References 
1. FAO. 2011. Global food losses and food waste – extent, causes and prevention. Rome: United Nations Food 
and Agriculture Organization. 
2. FAO. 2013. Food wastage footprint: Impacts on natural resources. Summary Report. 
3. Parfitt, J., Barthel, M., & Macnaughton, S. 2010. Food waste within food supply chains: quantification and 
potential for change to 2050. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 
365(1554): 3065-3081. 
4. Hall, K. D., Guo, J., Dore, M., & Chow, C. C. 2009. The progressive increase of food waste in America and 
its environmental impact. PLoS One 4(11): e7940. 
5. Lipinski, B. et al. 2013. “Reducing Food Loss and Waste.” Working Paper, Installment 2 of Creating a 
Sustainable Food Future. Washington, DC: World Resources Institute. 
6. Ribaudo, M., et al. September 2011. Nitrogen in Agricultural Systems: Implications for Conservation Policy, ERR-
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7. Montgomery, D. R. 2007. Soil erosion and agricultural sustainability. Proceedings of the National Academy of 
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8. EPA. April 2013. Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990-2011. 
9. Buzby, J.C., Wells, H.F. & Hyman, J. February 2014. The Estimated Amount, Value, and Calories of 
Postharvest Food Losses at the Retail and Consumer Levels in the United States, EIB-121. USDA-ERS. 
10. Kummu, M. et al. 2012. Lost food, wasted resources: Global food supply chain losses and their impacts on 
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11. Cuéllar, A. D., & Webber, M. E. 2010. Wasted food, wasted energy: the embedded energy in food waste in the 
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12. EPA. 2011. Municipal Solid Waste in the United States: 2011 Facts and Figures. 
13. Cassidy, E., West, P.C., Gerber, J.S., & Foley, J.A. 2013. Redefining Agricultural Yields: From Tonnes to 
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16. Broad Leib, E.M., Gunders, D., Ferro, J., Nielsen, A., Nosek, G. & Qu, J. September 2013. The Dating Game: How 
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foodpolicy.umn.edu | The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer. 
The Food Policy Research Center, University of Minnesota, is supported by the National Institute on Food and Agriculture, USDA.
 
 
 
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Food Loss and Waste in the US: The Science Behind the Supply Chain

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Food Loss and Waste in the US: The Science Behind the Supply Chain

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