Foodprints for the Future
Waste Not, Want Not: The Truth About Food Waste and Farms
July 24, 2025
Food provides energy for our bodies, but not all the food produced is actually eaten. Food waste includes both the edible food that goes uneaten and the loss of raw materials used to grow it. This waste can happen at any stage of the food supply chain—from the farm all the way to the table. For instance, perfectly good fruit might be discarded on farms because it doesn’t meet cosmetic standards, or leftovers might be thrown away at home or in restaurants. Both cases contribute to food waste.
The issue is that while agriculture is a necessary part of our world, it can negatively impact the environment with aggressive pesticide use undermining soil health, negatively impacting pollinator numbers, and by producing greenhouse gas emissions. This is especially egregious when the food we produce is not actually eaten and just gets thrown away.
The Unites States Department of Agricultire, USAD, estimates that nearly 40% of our annual food supply in the U.S. alone is never eaten. Not only is this a waste of resources and a contributor to greenhouse gases, given that nearly 733 million people —that represents 1 in 11 people globally—go to bed every night hungry, it is a moral dereliction too.
Here are five ways that food waste can occur before it ever reaches our kitchens to be eaten, and ways that you can reduce your food waste at the consumer level.
Be Kinder to Nature On Our Farms
Countries that are in food surplus (producing more food than the population requires) have more farmland in use than needed, which means they can make room for nature to creep back in. Clearingland for farming destroys habitats, reduces the amount of carbon the soil can store, and often requires the cutting down of trees – trees that play an essential role in storing carbon dioxide.
There are a variety of ways farmers can use their land more sustainably. For example, investing in agroforestry, the practice of planting trees, hedges, and shrubs between their fields to reduce soil erosion, mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, and create wildlife havens.
In the UK, farmers are encouraged by both the UK government and environmentalists to leave strips of unfarmed land—often called wildflower or grass strips, buffers, or margins—within or along the edges of their fields. These areas are intentionally sown with a variety of native flowering plants and grasses to provide essential habitats for wildlife, including insects, birds, and small mammals.
The strips serve as wildlife refuges, for pollinator populations such as bees and butterflies, by supplying a continuous source of nectar and pollen throughout the growing season. Additionally, they encourage the presence of natural enemies, like lacewings and ladybirds, to crop pests, aiding pest control naturally and supporting biodiversity at the same time.
Beyond pollinators, these valuable strips of nature help link fragmented habitats, allowing wildlife to move more freely across farmland. Well-managed margins can also enhance soil health, reduce agricultural run-off, and contribute to the overall ecological resilience of farmed landscapes. This approach is now widely promoted through agri-environment schemes as a key measure to restore and sustain nature on British farmland.
Gas – Excessive Emissions from Farming!
In 2019, a physicist found that dairy cows and cattle alone produce more greenhouse gases than the entire European Union, EU. To put that into context – as of 1 January 2025, the population of the European Union was estimated at 450.4 million million inhabitants.
This staggering statistic underscores the need to ensure that all greenhouse gas emissions in the agricultural process are not in vain and the food we produce – gets eaten. This means supporting more sustainable practices for rearing farm animals too.
Farmers can offset their waste by managing manure waste better, utilizing its natural fertilizing ability to recycle the nutrients it retains and at the same time helping farmers to reduce their reliance on synthetic chemical fertilizers. These fertilizers are expensive and in the long term bad for the soil.
Manure naturally gives off greenhouse gases like methane and nitrous oxide—but there are actually ways to cut down on those emissions. For example, anaerobic digesters. Farmers can scoop up their animals’ manure and put it into these big, airtight tanks (that don’t let any oxygen in). Inside, special bacteria get to work breaking it down. This process creates biogas that the farmer can use as renewable energy, and it means less methane escapes into the atmosphere. So not only is waste being managed, but it’s also being turned into something good for the farm and the planet.
Additionally, turning manure into compost improves soil health and decreases pollution. Although some emissions from livestock are unavoidable, managing manure responsibly is crucial for protecting air and water quality, reducing greenhouse gases, and promoting more sustainable farming. The greenhouse gas emissions from farming animals are an inevitable part of keeping livestock, but taking efforts to reduce emissions wherever possible is crucial.
Too Much Food Can Mean Waste
In many developed countries, such as the United States, Canada, and France, farmers produce far more food than the population needs. This surplus often leads to significant food waste. However, the situation is more complex than it first appears. While the United States, for example, produces more than enough food, food insecurity still affects many people due to challenges in distribution, affordability, and access. According to the USDA, an estimated 13.5% of households in the United States are food insecure.
In other words, although plenty of food is available, not everyone can obtain it. This points to food insecurity being driven more by economic and social factors than by overall food supply.
In contrast, many developing nations cannot produce enough food to feed their populations and face a food deficit. This reveals a global mismatch between the amount of food produced and who receives it. The United Nations estimates that 1 billion tons of food were wasted globally in 2022, while at the same time, about one-third of the world’s population was food insecure. So what are the solutions?
Firstly, food recovery programs are a localized solution, whereby surplus food from business and farms is donated to charities rather than letting it go to waste. Groups such as City Harvest in New York or FareShare in the UK actively collect excess food from businesses and deliver it to community kitchens and shelters. Similar groups exist around the world, so if you have excess food to donate or are in need of food, there are resources for you.
Some programs work with farmers and retailers to collect and distribute perfectly edible but cosmetically imperfect fruits and vegetables, saving them from becoming food waste. Special delivery services take this so-called ‘ugly’ food and sell it at discounted prices.
Globally, improving food distribution and storage, especially in developing countries, would mean more food reaches those who need it the most. In the U.S, too, food storage is an issue that leads to waste as lack of good storage for harvested food allows it to spoil before it can ever reach consumers.
The United States Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency has a program giving aid to farmers to help them build better storage infrastructure that aims to allow every piece of food harvested to reach the shelves of retailers and the tables of consumers – before it goes bad.
Food Left in the Field
Farmers do not always harvest their produce or sell viable crops.This is for a variety of reasons, and typically tied to profits. Market prices are sometimes just not high enough to guarantee a a profit when farmers factor in labor costs for harvesting and transporting foods to retailers.
A shortage of workers to maintain the farm can allow food to overripen and eventually rot. As a result, at the end of many crop seasons, retailers simply switch to sourcing food from regions where it is in season, and often with cheaper labor costs to factor in.
This system highlights the need for a broader cultural shift that recognizes the true costs of food production and embraces seasonal eating, rather than expecting all produce to be available year-round. Instead of placing the burden solely on farmers, we all need to take responsibility. By valuing our farmers and the food they produce, and actively encouraging sustainable practices—such as choosing food grown through regenerative agriculture when possible—we can make a difference. Ultimately, reducing food waste requires both systemic change and greater public awareness about the real cost of our food choices.
Tips to Reduce Food Waste at the Consumer Level
.Here are some tips to reduce your own food waste:
Create a list of meals you want to prepare for the week and shop for those ingredients first. Remember that deals, like buy one get one free, or bulk buying only save you money if you are able to eat all of the food. Store food properly to keep it fresh as long as possible until you can eat it. And don’t be scared of ‘ugly fruit’ and vegetables, it tastes the same and is cheaper!
If you cannot eat something before it spoils, freeze it if you can. Freezers are not just for leftovers from meals either, but you can also freeze herbs in olive oil, grated cheese, bread, and even overripe bananas for smoothies or baking! Consider donating excess food that is nearing it’s expiry date to a family member, neighbour or friend. Or repurposing it into another food – for example if it is ripening fruit – can you make a jam from it? Live by FIFO – first in, first out – and arrange your pantry and fridge so that older items are at the front, and you use them before anything new. Learn to compost! Composting transforms peelings and coffee grounds into free, rich fertilizer for plants or gardens and keeps food out of landfills!
Fighting food waste isn’t just about saving money; it’s about respecting resources, supporting your community, and making a real impact on the environment. By supporting EARTHDAY.ORG’s tree planting initiative, The Canopy Project, you help combat loss of forests around the world for farmland. The benefits don’t stop there, you also help local communities, animals, and the atmosphere, all of whom depend on trees.
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