We live in a land of plenty. Whether by imports or exports, a cornucopia of fresh vegetables, fruits, milk products, meats and grains are available to us 24/7, 7 days a week. However, constant access to healthy foods has lead to a serious issue with food wastage. As a recent article published in the Toronto Star points out, a disgusting $27 billion in perfectly edible food ends up in Canadian landfills. This massive number roughly breaks down as such:
According to Statistics Canada, in 2007, the loss of solid food was estimated at more than 6.0 million tonnes going from the store to the plate – the equivalent of 183 kg per person. Another 2.8 billion litres of liquids, including milk and milk products, coffee, tea, pop and juices, were also wasted. As the cheapest unit price of of solid food is about $2/kg and the cheapest litre of liquid is about $0.5/L. This means the minimum value of the waste from retail to plate is $13.4 billion. These losses do not include losses at the production level or during food processing.
As stated in research from the agri-business think tank Value Chain Management Centre in Guelph, Ontario, the evil "food miles" that load carbon emission into our atmosphere and waste our resources account for only 3 percent of this food waste crisis. Most of the wastage - a whopping 51 percent - occurs at the consumer level with individuals like you and me throwing out food after we've had our fill.
The main reasons food becomes garbage include cooking/preparing too much, not using the food in time, and a lack of confidence to use leftovers. This boils down to lack of planning of daily meals and neglecting the simple task of writing a grocery list so that only exact quantities of what's needed is purchased. Also, foods that comprise the majority of avoidable household food and drink waste are those that require or benefit from refrigerated storage, including fresh/raw meat and fish, ready meals, dairy products, fruit and vegetables and pre-prepared foods. Does this mean that milk and meat are left to rot unrefrigerated?
The majority of healthy foods like fresh leafy greens, berries, lean meat and low-fat dairy products are highly perishable. However, healthy eating should not mean excessive waste. To make conscientious food purchasing decisions for a household, treat grocery shopping like the business decision that it is. Instead of frivolously buying items you don't need, take inventory, write a list and stick to it. For menu planning ideas to get you started check out these Toronto-area workshops.
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