In 2019, an enormous 35% of all food in the United States went unsold or uneaten. That’s $408 billion worth of food – roughly 2% of U.S. GDP – with a greenhouse gas footprint equivalent to 4% of total U.S. GHG emissions. Most of this became food waste, which went straight to landfill, incineration, or down the drain, or was simply left in the fields to rot. Businesses, government agencies, funders, and others are already making efforts to address this challenge – but a massive acceleration is needed to achieve national and international goals to reduce food waste by 50% by the year 2030.
ReFED is a national nonprofit working to end food loss and waste across the U.S. food system. We estimate that an annual investment of $14 billion over the next ten years can reduce food waste by 45 million tons each year. That investment would result in $73 billion in annual net financial benefit – a five-to-one return. Plus, every year, it would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 75 million metric tons, save 4 trillion gallons of water, and recover the equivalent of 4 billion meals for those in need. Over ten years, it would create more than 51,000 jobs – and achieve our 2030 reduction goal.
Impacts of Uneaten Food: Economic
Each year, the country lets food worth $408 billion go uneaten. While the financial cost of uneaten food is greatest for consumers, since they pay retail prices for food, surplus within food industry sectors was worth about $250B.
Impacts of Uneaten Food: Environmental
Uneaten food is responsible for 4% of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. alone. It consumes cropland and fresh water – and it’s the number one material entering landfills.
Impacts of Uneaten Food: Food Security
A huge portion of uneaten food could go to help those in need. Meanwhile, the number of people lacking reliable access to sufficient, affordable, and nutritious food grew to more than 50 million in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Our Roadmap to 2030 can help the food system cut food waste by 50% over the next ten years.
Food waste is a systemwide problem, and solving it will require a systemwide response. Our Roadmap to 2030: Reducing U.S. Food Waste by 50% looks at the entire food supply chain and identifies seven key action areas to help guide the food system’s efforts over the next ten years. In line with the "Target-Measure-Act" framework for food waste reduction that’s been adopted around the world, the Roadmap to 2030 is a critical blueprint to help the food system take action.
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ReFED's Insights Engine
The Insights Engine is an online hub for data and insights about food waste, featuring a detailed cost-benefit analysis of more than 40 food waste reduction solutions; facts and figures about the impact of food waste built from more than 50 public and proprietary datasets; a directory of organizations ready to partner on food waste reduction initiatives; and more. With more granular data, more extensive analyses, more customized views, and the most up-to-date information, the Insights Engine has been designed from the ground up to provide anyone interested in food waste reduction with the information they need to take meaningful action to address the problem.
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COVID-19:
How It's Impacted Food Waste
COVID-19 sent shock waves through our entire food system, resulting in a surge of on-farm food loss, food business closures, labor shortages, and a growing number of food insecure individuals. While the early days of the pandemic saw huge increases in food going to waste, the lasting result might actually be a decrease in wasted food, as the food system and consumers learn to adapt to this new reality.
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*The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent those of The Kroger Co. Zero Hunger | Zero Waste Foundation or The Kroger Co.