Food Wasted by US & Europe Could Feed the World 3 Times Over.

[TalkingDog]

http://www.nextgenerationfood.com/news/looking-at-food-waste/

In the US, a report in Plos One at the end of last year found that per capita food waste has progressively increased by 50 percent since 1974 reaching more than 1400 calories per person per day or 150 trillion calories per year. Food waste now accounts for more than one quarter of the total freshwater consumption and 300 million barrels of oil per year.

The study funded by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases - The Progressive Increase of Food Waste in America and Its Environmental Impact, found that 40 percent of all the food produced in the US is thrown out.

According to the CDC, Americans consume about 2600 calories a day on average. Based on that estimate, 1400 calories is roughly a meal and a half of food wasted every day (or a Big Mac meal with a large Coke).


/snip

It's interesting that they count overeating as food waste. Technically that is factual, but I imagine you'd have a hard time convincing those that overeat.