Improving food donation policies is key to fighting food waste

BY EMILY BROAD LEIB AND DOUG O’BRIEN

As much as one third of all food produced is lost or wasted. Rather than reaching the estimated 820 million people who face hunger around the world, that food is thrown away and decomposes, contributing 8%-10% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Loss and waste occur across food supply chains: On farms, because of surplus or imperfect products, and downstream due to inadequate storage infrastructure and consumer confusion or inefficient behavior.

There is another important—if less obvious—culprit: Policies and laws that prevent safe, nutritious surplus food from being redistributed to those in need and away from landfills.