Wasted food is wholesome, nutritious food that is lost or sent for disposal, including unsold food and untouched prepared food.
Food waste is food unfit for human consumption that is sent for disposal, including spoiled food, plate-scrapings, fats, oils, greases, and by-products.
Sources: www.epa.gov/sustainable-management-food/sustainable-management-food-basics and www.fao.org/food-loss-and-food-waste/en/
Food waste is food unfit for human consumption that is sent for disposal, including spoiled food, plate-scrapings, fats, oils, greases, and by-products.
Sources: www.epa.gov/sustainable-management-food/sustainable-management-food-basics and www.fao.org/food-loss-and-food-waste/en/
According to the EPA, the U.S. generated more than 38 million tons of food waste in 2014, and only 5.1% was diverted from landfills and incinerators for compost.
The EPA estimates that food constituted 21.6% of discarded municipal waste in 2014.
According to the USDA in 2010, Americans wasted more than a third of the fruits and vegetables they bought.
Source: https://www.epa.gov/sustainable-management-food/sustainable-management-food-basics
The EPA estimates that food constituted 21.6% of discarded municipal waste in 2014.
According to the USDA in 2010, Americans wasted more than a third of the fruits and vegetables they bought.
Source: https://www.epa.gov/sustainable-management-food/sustainable-management-food-basics
How does food get wasted or lost?
1. Pre-harvest: food in the field is eaten by birds and rodents, or plagued by pests and disease
2. At harvest: unideal timing of harvest, or poor harvesting technique
3. Pre-consumer: spoilage, bruising, pests, disease, contamination, poor transport infrastructure, spillage, improper cold storage (especially developing countries)
4. Final product: poor stock management, wasted edible food, spoilage, confusion about "use by" dates (especially industrialized countries)
2. At harvest: unideal timing of harvest, or poor harvesting technique
3. Pre-consumer: spoilage, bruising, pests, disease, contamination, poor transport infrastructure, spillage, improper cold storage (especially developing countries)
4. Final product: poor stock management, wasted edible food, spoilage, confusion about "use by" dates (especially industrialized countries)
Food (In)Security
According to the USDA, food insecurity is the "state of being without reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food."
At HSU in 2016, 53% of students reported low or very low food security;
40% of students reported that "the food I bought just didn't
last, and I didn't have money to get more.";
62% of students felt they did not have enough money to
purchase balanced meals.
Source: Maguire, Jen, et al. Executive Summary, CA State University Food & Housing Security Survey: Emerging Patterns from Humboldt State University Data, January 2016. Download at http://hsuohsnap.org/portfolio-items/california-state-university-food-and-housing-security-survey-emerging-patterns-from-the-humboldt-state-university-data/
40% of students reported that "the food I bought just didn't
last, and I didn't have money to get more.";
62% of students felt they did not have enough money to
purchase balanced meals.
Source: Maguire, Jen, et al. Executive Summary, CA State University Food & Housing Security Survey: Emerging Patterns from Humboldt State University Data, January 2016. Download at http://hsuohsnap.org/portfolio-items/california-state-university-food-and-housing-security-survey-emerging-patterns-from-the-humboldt-state-university-data/
Oh Snap! Resources Available to HSU Students
Food Pantry - Rec & Wellness Center Rm. 122
Farm Stand: Earthly Edibles - produce, dairy, bread, non-perishables
CalFresh - apply for SNAP benefits, education, and resources
Oh Sure! (health insurance) - Medi-Cal, Family PACT, Covered CA
Cooking Demos & Recipes - for example, this recipe for Curried Sweet Potato Apple Pilaf
Eating Well on $4/Day: Good and Cheap free PDF by Leanne Brown
Aliméntate Bien A 4$ Al Día: Bueno Y Barato PDF de acceso gratuito por Leanne Brown
EBT on campus
Food Pantry - Rec & Wellness Center Rm. 122
Farm Stand: Earthly Edibles - produce, dairy, bread, non-perishables
CalFresh - apply for SNAP benefits, education, and resources
Oh Sure! (health insurance) - Medi-Cal, Family PACT, Covered CA
Cooking Demos & Recipes - for example, this recipe for Curried Sweet Potato Apple Pilaf
Eating Well on $4/Day: Good and Cheap free PDF by Leanne Brown
Aliméntate Bien A 4$ Al Día: Bueno Y Barato PDF de acceso gratuito por Leanne Brown
EBT on campus
Climate Disruption
Climate disruption is "massive disruption to the planet's climate due to human-caused greenhouse gas emissions" that is "severe, rapid, and variable over space and time."
Source: Stuart Pimm, “Climate Disruption & Biodiversity”, Current Biology, Vol 19 Issue 14, 28 July 2009, Pages R595–R601
Source: Stuart Pimm, “Climate Disruption & Biodiversity”, Current Biology, Vol 19 Issue 14, 28 July 2009, Pages R595–R601
Food systems contribute to about 30% of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. The largest proportion comes from animal-based food.
On-farm agriculture: - methane production from cow digestion
- manure
- energy use
- fertilizer emissions
Electricity & heat: - manufacturing
- processing
Transportation: - storage
- cooking
- packaging
Emissions: - food decay in landfills
- land use change & deforestation associated with ultimately wasted edible food
- manure
- energy use
- fertilizer emissions
Electricity & heat: - manufacturing
- processing
Transportation: - storage
- cooking
- packaging
Emissions: - food decay in landfills
- land use change & deforestation associated with ultimately wasted edible food
Source: http://www.wri.org/blog/2015/12/whats-food-loss-and-waste-got-do-climate-change-lot-actually
Solutions
Food recovery aims to address the connection between food insecurity and climate disruption. By reducing food insecurity, we can realize a direct reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
Food recovery: collecting edible food that would otherwise go to waste
Sustainable food management: preventing spoilage and diverting from landfills, mostly for non-edible food waste
Sustainable food management: preventing spoilage and diverting from landfills, mostly for non-edible food waste
Food Recovery Hierarchy:
Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Source Reduction at HSU: bulk items, leftover and purchasing inventories, seasonal 5-week menu cycle, local products (including Humboldt grass-fed beef, mushrooms, brussel sprouts, Cypress Grove Chevre & more)
Feeding Hungry People at HSU: Jolly Giant Commons Pay-For-What-You-Eat Menu, wrap & re-sell leftovers, use leftovers in soup & other dishes, cater for the campus food pantry
Industrial Uses at HSU: provide waste oils for rendering and fuel conversion
Composting at HSU: BioBin, Vermiculture, EarthTub
The BioBin has a capacity of 20 cubic yards, or 540 cubic feet.
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Worms eat food waste and turn it into nutrient-rich soil and fertilizer.
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WRRAP operates an EarthTub, designed for on-site composting of food waste. It is fully enclosed with power mixing, aeration, and biofiltration features. It can process 40-100 lbs of added material per day, and the final product is used in on-campus gardens.
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Thousands of Pounds of Food Waste Composted from HSU,
Monthly from Jan 2015 to Feb 2017
Monthly from Jan 2015 to Feb 2017
Source: Presentation on Food Recovery by Katie Koscielak and Sarah Nolan, April 2018
Contact Thomas Premo at [email protected] with questions or interest!