Food Waste: Ethical Imperatives & Complexities

Abstract

We identify multiple ways in which food waste matters ethically: because of its direct negative environmental effects, because of the environmental impacts of excess food production, and because of the foregone benefits that could have been achieved if wasted food had been consumed. The issue of food waste is complicated by competing views on how to define food waste; we suggest that food waste could be defined as edible and nutritive plant, animal, mineral, or fungal materials used in ways that do not provide sufficient benefit and value. We also consider ways of reframing the issue of food waste, such as shifting the focus from food “waste” to food “conservation,” allowing our emphasis to be redirected toward the resources that ought to be treated with greater care. Finally, we discuss ethical concerns with food waste-reduction efforts, which may have unintended consequences or may be minimally effective.