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1 1 (November 2, 2016)

handle is hein.crs/crsnalcaaaak0001 and id is 1 raw text is: , Congressional Research Service ~Informingi the legislative debate since 1914 November 2, 2016 Policy Issues Involving Food Loss and Waste Food loss refers to edible food that is available for human consumption but is not eaten. This could occur for any number of reasons, including cooking loss and natural shrinkage; loss from mold, pests, or inadequate climate control; and plate waste. Food waste is a component of food loss and refers to food discarded by retailers and consumers due to quality concerns or undesirable product attributes (e.g., imperfect produce). In the United States, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reports that food loss accounts for an estimated 31% (133 billion pounds) of all food available for human consumption (based on 2010 data). Previous USDA loss estimates have ranged from 20% to 40%. USDA's most recent estimates likely understates total U.S. losses, as it does not account for losses at the farm and losses between the farm and retail level because of data limitations. USDA estimates U.S. food losses to be worth $161.6 billion in 2010. On a per capita basis, total food loss was valued at $522 annually: $151 per year at the retail level and $371 at the consumer level. At the consumer level, this represents about 9% of the roughly $4,000 average amount spent on food per person in 2010. Globally, the United Nations reports that about one-third of food produced for human consumption is lost or wasted. Other estimates of loss worldwide indicate that waste and loss rates may be even greater but may vary by country/region or by the type of food. USDA estimates food loss accounts for 3 1% of food available for human consumption in the United States Food waste is associated with a series of policy concerns spanning economic, social, and environmental impacts. Economic impacts include financial and disposal costs to food producers, processors, and distributors and also longer term concerns about meeting food needs for an increasing U.S. and global population. Social impacts include concerns about food insecurity and related nutritional concerns. The U.N. reports that 24% of all food calories produced go uneaten worldwide. In the United States, an estimated 33% of all available food calories were uneaten. Environmental and natural resource impacts raise concerns over the use of land, water, energy, and inputs needed to produce, process, and distribute food as well as greenhouse gases that are generated when food waste is sent to landfills. Food loss occurs across all major food groups (Figure 1). In the United States, by volume, vegetables and dairy products together account for 38% of estimated food losses, with another 28% of losses due to fruit and grain products. Food waste and loss also occurs throughout the supply chain. By sector, most U.S. food waste occurs at the consumer and food service level, accounting for nearly 90% of all food waste combined (Figure 2). Figure I. Estimates of Food Loss, by Food Group 14L i,,e eL~ rdu~ K rit PA 132.9 bill. lbs (710 I n rdt ! 14%$' 13 t pulry Source: USDA, ERS's Food Loss Data Help Inform the Food Waste Discussion, June 2013. Figure 2. Estimate of Food Waste Disposal, by Sector Restaurants 13% Restaurants. Grocery Stores 11I% Reis dent a 45% 2% Source: BSR, Food Waste: Tier I Assessment, March 2012, http://www.foodwastealliance.org/. Efforts to Reduce Food Loss In 2013, USDA launched the U.S. Food Waste Challenge to reduce, recover, and recycle food waste across the food chain, enlisting efforts by a range of partner organizations including producer groups, processors, manufacturers, retailers, and others in the private sector; charitable and faith-based organizations; other federal government agencies; state, local, and tribal governments; schools; and community organizations. As part of this effort, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) launched its Food Recovery Challenge to provide participants with data management software and technical assistance to help quantify and improve their food management practices. Initially USDA stated its goal was to enlist 400 partner organizations by 2015. By April 2015, USDA claimed that more than 4,000 participants were working to reduce food loss and waste in their operations. In September 2015, USDA established the first-ever national food waste reduction goal, calling for a 50% reduction by 2030. www.crs.gov 1 7-5700

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