February 27, 2015

The True Cost of Food Waste

This post originally appeared on The Huffington Post.

By Dan Glickman, former US Secretary of Agriculture and Cochair of The Chicago Council's Global Agricultural Development Initiative

The world wastes an astonishing amount of food. As a recent Chicago Council on Global Affairs’ blog post outlines in stark detail, about 1/3 of all the food that is produced is wasted, which amounts to about $1 trillion worth of food loss each year. A shocking seven percent of global greenhouse gas emissions come from food that is thrown away and the water that goes into producing food that is eventually wasted could fill Switzerland's Lake Geneva two times over. More nutritious foods are wasted more often: fruits, vegetables, and fish are wasted in much greater quantities than grain because they are more difficult to transport and require refrigeration. This makes it all that much harder to make nutritious foods available. Given food waste’s economic costs, and the fact that nearly a billion people around the globe don’t have enough to eat, it’s time reducing food waste become a major priority.

Continue reading on The Huffington Post >

More on: Global Food & Agriculture

About

The Global Food and Agriculture Program aims to inform the development of US policy on global agricultural development and food security by raising awareness and providing resources, information, and policy analysis to the US Administration, Congress, and interested experts and organizations.

The Global Food and Agriculture Program is housed within the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, an independent, nonpartisan organization that provides insight – and influences the public discourse – on critical global issues. The Council on Global Affairs convenes leading global voices and conducts independent research to bring clarity and offer solutions to challenges and opportunities across the globe. The Council is committed to engaging the public and raising global awareness of issues that transcend borders and transform how people, business, and governments engage the world.

Support for the Global Food and Agriculture Program is generously provided by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Archive

April 9, 2015

Guest Commentary - Healthy Food Should Also Be Safe to Eat

Arlene Mitchell, Executive Director of the Global Child Nutrition Foundation, explains that food safety requires vigilance and good practice throughout the value chain– from farm to fork– all around the world.

April 8, 2015

Healthy Food for a Healthy World: Healthy Food Must Be Safe Food

The final installment in the Healthy Food for a Healthy World series explains the critical role of food safety in global nutrition.

April 7, 2015

Guest Commentary - The Role of Food Banking in Achieving Sustainable Development Goals

The Global FoodBanking Network's Jeff Klein shares his thoughts following GFN’s meeting with Stanlake J.T.M. Samkange of the World Food Programme.

April 6, 2015

Big Ideas and Emerging Innovations

Highlighting approaches, technologies, and ideas that have the potential to radically advance sustainable and nutritious food security globally.

April 2, 2015

Chicago Council’s Grow Markets, Fight Hunger Report Featured

The Chicago Council’s recent report, Grow Markets, Fight Hunger: a Food Security Framework for US-Africa Trade Relations, is currently featured on Republic 3.0 and Ideas Lab.

April 2, 2015

Guest Commentary- Healthier Crops, Healthier People: Biofortification Shows Strong Potential to Build More Food, Nutrition Secure Future in Africa

Marc Albertsen, ABS Research Lead and Research Director at DuPont Pioneer, explains how the African Biofortified Sorghum public-private collaboration is working to help improve nutrition.

April 1, 2015

Healthy Food for a Healthy World: Climate Change Puts Global Nutrition at Risk

The next installment in the Healthy Food for a Healthy World series explores how climate change puts global nutrition at risk- and how smallholder farmers' climate resilience will be crucial.

March 30, 2015

Guest Commentary - Global Challenges in Food Security: A Challenge for the Leaders of Tomorrow

In this guest post, Frieder Haenisch and Anna Gould discuss how a new generation of dynamic, well-connected leaders can build a better, food-secure future.

March 30, 2015

Big Ideas and Emerging Innovations

Highlighting approaches, technologies, and ideas that have the potential to radically advance sustainable and nutritious food security globally.

March 27, 2015

Guest Commentary- 'Business as Usual' Management of Water and Agriculture Will Cripple Paths to Sustainable Development

Frank Rijsberman, Jeremy Bird, and Andrew Noble discussion the innovations in water use, particularly in agriculture, that will help sustainably provide healthy and nutritious food to a global community.

March 26, 2015

Global Food Security and Trade Champion Clayton Yeutter

Clayton Yeutter, former US Secretary of Agriculture, former US Trade Representative, and lifelong advocate of global food security and international trade issues, has been recognized and heralded for his extensive contributions to the field.

March 26, 2015

Guest Commentary - Making More with Less: US Farmers Might Face Increased Competition for Water under Climate Change

Farm Journal Foundation's Stephanie Mercier discusses the ways that farmers can use innovative practices to improve water use efficiency in the face of growing competition for water.

March 25, 2015 | By Roger Thurow

Healthy Food for a Healthy World: the Role of Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene in Improving Nutrition

In the latest installment in the Healthy Food for a Healthy World series, Senior Fellow Roger Thurow highlights the importance of clean water, proper sanitation, and good hygiene for improving global nutrition.

March 24, 2015

Achieve Global Food Security by Investing in Universities

In The Hill, former Sen. Richard G. Lugar (R-Ind.), Peter McPherson and Dan Glickman discuss the essential role of US and foreign universities for global food security.

March 23, 2015

Guest Commentary- Celebrating World Water Day

For World Water Day, Food Tank's Sarah Small and Danielle Nierenberg honor the projects, people, and programs working tirelessly to achieve more with less water and creating innovative systems for the future.

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