While we celebrate the coming holidays many of us will give food donations to help those who struggle with hunger year-round. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, that’s more than 40 million people in the United States. Our donations have a positive effect for a short period of time. It may not seem obvious, but food waste plays an important role in the hunger issue.
Once again, from the USDA website, 30%-40% of our food supply is wasted ($161 billion). Think of how many more people could be fed with this food. Our obsession with aesthetics causes a lot of produce waste. Overproduction of perishables is a big cause, and our own throw-away items from the table and refrigerator because we overbuy are other causes.
I could go on with more details but my purpose in writing this is to make us all more aware of our habits that cause food waste, especially at this time of year when we get caught up in the spirit of celebrating and don’t notice how much we buy and then throw away. Happy Thanksgiving and Happy Holidays.
— Joanne Ackerman
Anchorage
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