Abstract
The world’s population continues to increase at record rates along with corresponding nutritional needs and related agricultural consequences. In the United States, food waste levels serve as dominant components of land-fill masses, oil and freshwater waste, methane and CO2 emissions, damage to wildlife ecosystems, and substantial financial losses. Agricultural effects on the environment were investigated through various research studies, referenced in this document, and efforts made toward food waste recycling were discussed as noteworthy models concerning improvements in sustainable agricultural practices. Food waste levels in the United States can be traced as faults of consumers, agricultural businesses, as well as federal legislation and there is an evident need for reform to maintain consumer health, viable foreign affairs, and environmental sustainability. Present agricultural practices are intense and rapid, increasing the risk of soil infertility and commercial alterations in production yields; repercussions well documented in neighboring nations. Experts argue that food waste in developed countries damages food availability around the world and, based on current agricultural practices and production, there is debate conc
Highlights
FOOD LOSSES IN THE UNITED STATES Most of the population growth is expected to continue in underdeveloped countries with limited technologies and venues
Warner (2013) concluded that as much as 70% of the average American diet consists of commercially processed foods, as opposed to the perishable goods that account for 72% of the food wasted in the United States (Buzby and Hyman, 2012)
Considering that nearly three-fourths of food waste is composed of perishable items, while 70% of the American diet consists of commercially processed foods, there is strong evidence that irresponsibility in shopping habits acts as a major gateway to food waste in the United States (Buzby and Hyman, 2012; Warner, 2013)
Summary
FOOD LOSSES IN THE UNITED STATES Most of the population growth is expected to continue in underdeveloped countries with limited technologies and venues (the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, 2009). Even small change by United States consumers would result in mass increases in food availability around the world as even a 15% decrease in food waste would be enough to feed at least 25 million people (Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, 2012). Corresponding with such trends in modern agriculture, issues concerning sediment and air pollution, damage to wildlife and aquatic ecosystems, and soil losses have been concluded as resulting effects of agricultural practices (Reimer and Prokopy, 2014). Food companies with LCA data that conclusively support the environmental benefits of their respective food production processes will have access to substantial marketing advantages over competitors which, if not explored properly by the federal government, could drive agricultural commerce out of the United States due to environmentally active agricultural conglomerates overseas
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