Overview
“Imagine walking out of a grocery store with four bags of groceries, dropping one in the parking lot, and just not bothering to pick it up. That’s essentially what we’re doing.” – Dana Gunders, Author and Food Waste Reduction Expert / Advisor
In America, 1 in 9 people struggle to feed themselves or their families, yet 30 to 40% of food produced is never eaten. That’s almost half of the food in the country! Worldwide, nearly 33% of all food produced is wasted, an estimated 193 million tons this year alone. Despite such startling amounts of waste, 820 million people across the globe still go hungry each year. This is a massive crisis.
To make matters worse, food waste produces methane, a greenhouse gas that traps heat in the atmosphere at levels 8 to 36 times higher than CO2, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. But, this also means that addressing the problem of food waste is a great way to tackle climate change!
Another aspect of food waste is its relationship to food insecurity. Food insecurity is a lack of consistent access to enough food for an active, healthy lifestyle, as defined by Feeding America, and disproportionately impacts Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. Due to decades of segregation and systemic racism, these groups are more likely to live in areas without easy access to stores with fresh, healthy food. If we were to divert the tons of perfectly good, but wasted, food in America to the people who really need it, a lot of problems would be solved.
The good news is that the massive food waste problem is being addressed both locally and globally. The student-founded organization Food Recovery Network connects with college campuses in an effort to simultaneously reduce food waste and food insecurity. Companies like Imperfect Produce take the food that farmers would typically discard and sell it straight to consumers to reduce unnecessary waste. More and more cities are adopting composting programs to dispose of food waste and turn it into a usable product.
Composting is the natural process of nutrient cycling by which food breaks down into fertile soil. Driven by fungi, bacteria and invertebrates (the composting FBI!), the end result is nutrient-rich soil that can be applied to potted plants, gardens and farms. This process also prevents the release of methane that occurs when food waste is in landfills, reducing both the amount of waste entering landfills and need for chemical fertilizers. And you can do it at home!
THINK
Food waste is a complex problem. Every step comes at a cost to farmers, consumers, resources and the Earth. There have always been major flaws in our food systems around food waste, access and more — and the pandemic has only exacerbated these issues.
ACTIVITY
Watch this short video on how the Coronavirus has impacted food production and food insecurity. Respond to the following:
● What are 5 words that describe your reaction to the video?
● What was your biggest takeaway? Did anything surprise you?
Don’t forget to post about the challenge and your learnings/doings on social media and tag us on Facebook @TurningGreen, on Twitter @TurningGreenOrg, and on Instagram @TurningGreenOrg and use #TGClassroom.
THINK
Avoiding food waste is a great way to save money and lessen your individual impact on the environment. Pre-planning weekly meals and making shopping lists minimizes waste because you buy only what you need and utilize it before anything goes bad. It also saves money because you’re using everything you purchase!
ACTIVITY
Visit Save the Food to look through resources. Create a clever and informative way to share this important information about reducing food waste with friends and family! Things to consider:
● Facts about the importance of reducing food waste
● Common misconceptions about best-by, sell-by and use-by dates
● Creative ways to use food scraps or extend the life of food
Don’t forget to post about the challenge and your learnings/doings on social media and tag us on Facebook @TurningGreen, on Twitter @TurningGreenOrg, and on Instagram @TurningGreenOrg and use #TGClassroom.
THINK
No matter how much you plan ahead or find clever ways to use food scraps, producing some amount of food waste is unavoidable. Luckily, creating a composting system is a great way to take care of food waste on an individual level, from the comfort of home!
ACTIVITY
Now it’s time to really dig in!
- Browse the ”How to Compost” instructions from Kiss the Ground
- Build one of the backyard compost bin projects from this Kiss the Ground video use Eartheasy’s Step by Step Guide here or search the web for ideas
- Once you’re done, take a proud photo with your new compost pail or backyard bin!
Share that image with friends and family — and post on social media, tagging @TurningGreenOrg
Don’t forget to post about the challenge and your learnings/doings on social media and tag us on Facebook @TurningGreen, on Twitter @TurningGreenOrg, and on Instagram @TurningGreenOrg and use #TGClassroom.