The Value of Retail‐ and Consumer‐Level Fruit and Vegetable Losses in the United States

Buzby, Jean C.; Hyman, Jeffrey; Stewart, Hayden; Wells, Hodan Farah

doi:10.1111/j.1745-6606.2011.01214.x

Cited by 146 publications

(105 citation statements)

References 5 publications

(10 reference statements)

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“…In 2008, the estimated food loss at the retail level in the United States was about 19 billion kilograms (42 billion pounds), valued at $15 billion and equivalent to $50 per capita (Buzby et al, 2011). However, as retailers have a direct contact with their upper and lower levels in the supply chain they are responsible for a bigger fraction of the losses among the system, but those are not easily measurable (Gunders, 2012).…”

Section: Reducing Overall Wastementioning

confidence: 99%

Ethics of Food Resource Consumption

Bermudez¹,

Behrens²,

Marripudi³

2016

2016 ASABE International Meeting

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Food waste is a global-scale issue that can no longer be ignored. Misuse of resources has caused large amounts of food waste in the past that results in a waste of resources such as fossil fuels, water, land, and produces excess greenhouse gasses in the process. Alternatives exist for reuse and recapturing of the potential trapped within our wasted food resources. Processes such as composting, biogas, chemical conversion, animal feed production, and other recycling efforts can be implemented in areas where reducing food waste seems to be difficult. Increasing industrial efficiency may also reduce waste. New and emerging control technologies have helped reduce agricultural inputs and also reduce waste while processing. Raising consumer awareness of these issues may push buyers in the direction of environmental and economic harmony where a balance can be kept between consumers and the industry. If growing future demands of developing countries cannot be met government intervention may have to take place. However, these systems are expensive and take the time to implement. Focusing on consumer waste reduction and industrial efficiency must be a priority to reduce food waste in the near future. KeywordsFood waste, supply chain, pre-consumer, post-consumer, composting, landfill, incineration

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Section: Reducing Overall Wastementioning

confidence: 99%

Ethics of Food Resource Consumption

Bermudez¹,

Behrens²,

Marripudi³

2016

2016 ASABE International Meeting

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“…Similarly, there is currently no widespread or discernable social momentum to reduce food waste in the USA [24]. Most consumers are not interested in waste because there is an abundant supply of inexpensive food and because financial incentives, such as tax credits to businesses that donate food, do not currently exist.…”

Section: Policy Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Absent detailed food waste statistics specific to California, losses from the state's food supply were estimated from 2008 data on consumers and retailers in the USA [24]. The consumer/retailer sector of the food chain controls post-production waste, which is normally greater in industrialized nations than the waste associated with pre-production activities such as growing, harvesting and storing crops.…”

Section: Wastementioning

confidence: 99%

Using Water Footprints to Identify Alternatives for Conserving Local Water Resources in California

Marrin¹

2016

Water

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As a management tool for addressing water consumption issues, footprints have become increasingly utilized on scales ranging from global to personal. A question posed by this paper is whether water footprint data that are routinely compiled for particular regions may be used to assess the effectiveness of actions taken by local residents to conserve local water resources. The current California drought has affected an agriculturally productive region with large population centers that consume a portion of the locally produced food, and the state's arid climate demands a large volume of blue water as irrigation from its dwindling surface and ground water resources. Although California exports most of its food products, enough is consumed within the state so that residents shifting their food choices and/or habits could save as much or more local blue water as their reduction of household or office water use. One of those shifts is reducing the intake of animal-based products that require the most water of any food group on both a gravimetric and caloric basis. Another shift is reducing food waste, which represents a shared responsibility among consumers and retailers, however, consumer preferences ultimately drive much of this waste.

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“…Integrating comprehensive cost assessments, as suggested in the framework, may help address this issue. Without extensive cost analyses, it may appear beneficial in terms of labor, time, and money for restaurants to keep excess food in stock so that they never run short, even though this excess is often discarded [49]. Supermarkets keep shelves full even at the expense of throwing out excess food.…”

Section: Perceived High Costsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Management Framework for Municipal Solid Waste Systems and Its Application to Food Waste Prevention

Thyberg

Tonjes

2015

Systems

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Waste management is a complex task involving numerous waste fractions, a range of technological treatment options, and many outputs that are circulated back into society. A systematic, interdisciplinary systems management framework was developed to facilitate the planning, implementation, and maintenance of sustainable waste systems. It aims not to replace existing decision-making approaches, but rather to enable their integration to allow for inclusion of overall sustainability concerns and address the complexity of solid waste management. The framework defines key considerations for system design, steps for performance monitoring, and approaches for facilitating continual system improvements. It was developed by critically examining the literature to determine what aspects of a management framework would be most effective at improving systems management for complex waste systems. The framework was applied to food waste management as a theoretical case study to exemplify how it can serve as a systems management tool for complex waste systems, as well as address obstacles typically faced in the field. Its benefits include the integration of existing waste system assessment models; the inclusion of environmental, economic, and social priorities; efficient performance monitoring; and a structure to continually define, review, and improve systems. This framework may have broader implications for addressing sustainability in other disciplines.

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The Value of Retail‐ and Consumer‐Level Fruit and Vegetable Losses in the United States

Cited by 146 publications

References 5 publications

Ethics of Food Resource Consumption

Ethics of Food Resource Consumption

Using Water Footprints to Identify Alternatives for Conserving Local Water Resources in California

A Management Framework for Municipal Solid Waste Systems and Its Application to Food Waste Prevention

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