Food “waste” refers to food that is fit for consumption but consciously discarded at the retail or consumption phases. The food service industry is unsurprisingly a large contributor to the problem of food waste in the United States. A huge percentage of waste is happening at this point. The Food Loss and Waste database is the largest online collection of data on both food loss and food waste and causes reported throughout the literature. Wasted food has far-reaching effects, both nationally and globally. Restaurant Food Waste Facts. In the U.S., up to 40% of all food produced goes uneaten [2], and about 95% of discarded food ends up in landfills [3]. We’re going to explore four main causes to this crisis, and look at what can be done to help reverse these alarming trends. Manufacturer and grocery store waste. Cheap food. The paper highlights the discovery of waste at every level of the agri-food industry, of the long road to improvement in food production and consumption, and possible solutions. 1 Of the estimated 125 to 160 billion pounds of food that goes to waste every year, much of it is perfectly edible and nutritious. In the United States, food waste is estimated at between 30–40 percent of the food supply. Food production accounts for around one-quarter – 26% – of global greenhouse gas emissions. Food waste - Causes, impacts and proposals This paper is a timely analysis of a complex phenomenon, food waste, which is one of the main global paradoxes. Along with chronic poverty, conflict and a lack of resources, food waste is one of the root causes of hunger worldwide. Causes of Food Waste in America. Given the food waste problem America is currently dealing with, let’s look at some of the causes that put the nation on the top of the food-wasting list. The food wasted yearly in the whole world causes the increment in the number of all the hungry people by nearly 4 times. The database contains data and information from openly accessible reports and studies measuring food loss and waste across food products, stages of the value chain, and geographical areas. Buying food is way cheaper in the United States than almost anywhere else globally. Hunger and Starvation. America wastes roughly 40 percent of its food. Effects of Food Waste 1. The biggest and the most adverse effect of food waste are hunger and starvation. The bottom line is we are in the midst of a global food waste crisis. Did you know that consumer-facing businesses account for about 40% of food waste by weight (ReFed.com)?This means that companies such as restaurants, bars, and retailers are contributing almost half of all food waste. Here’s what you need to know: Approximately $1 trillion of food is lost or wasted every year — accounting for roughly one-third of the world’s food. Common causes of food waste in restaurants include overbuying, overproduction, and spoilage. Overbuying is often a result of inadequate forecasting of consumer demand and the large quantities of food that restaurants typically need to purchase at one time.