The title of this collection is “Food Waste and its Solutions”. Around the world, 1.3 billion metric tons, also known as one-third of all the food produced, is thrown away. This issue of food waste ranges from personal to industrial; therefore, there are many contributing factors, such as purchasing preferences, retail standards, excess production, cost, convenience, and more.
The focus of this collection is to find a variety of solutions to the large amounts of food waste we create both as a community and individually. Many of the articles have a focus on the environmental impact that food waste causes. When we waste food, we also waste all the energy and water it takes to grow, harvest, transport, and package it. And if food goes to the landfill and rots, it produces methane—a greenhouse gas even more potent than carbon dioxide. Other articles show the significance of the rising number of people affected by hunger correlated with the rising number of food wasted every year.
All of the articles and stories contained in this collection come up with various solutions in order to solve the aforementioned issue. Whether city wide, campus wide, or in your own home, there are ways to reduce our waste. Making food waste illegal, mandating businesses to donate leftovers, investing in solar powered cold hubs in local markets for our farmers, and distribution of collected goods are just a few of the solutions presented in this collection.