- Agriculture accounts for 70% of the freshwater people use and nearly 30% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
- Nearly 90% of the world's fisheries are fully exploited or over-exploited.
- Agriculture is the largest driver of tropical deforestation.
- The EPA estimates that during the holidays our household waste increases by more than 25%.
- Food waste generates more than 3.3 billion tons of carbon dioxide equivalent annually, excluding emissions associated with land use change.
My job at WWF was created to promote a more efficient food system that reduces waste. When we throw away food, we’re also throwing away the land, water, and energy used to produce that food.
Agriculture is vital for human survival, but its expansion is the leading cause of stress on the last remaining biodiverse regions around the globe. This comes at a time when we grow enough food to feed everyone, and up to 40% of what we grow never makes it to a dinner plate.
If we can make more food available from what’s already produced—by minimizing waste—we might slow deforestation in the Amazon or preserve the grasslands in the Northern Great Plains.
If you’re passionate about conservation, consider this: preventing and reducing food waste is one of the best things you can do to conserve natural resources and wildlife.
This holiday season, avoid tossing food in the trash by taking these steps:
- Try not to over-prepare food; instead, try to prepare “just enough.”
- Encourage friends and family to take leftovers home.
- Store leftovers in the freezer to enjoy after you’ve had a break from them for a little while.
- Compost food scraps instead of throwing them away.
- Search “holiday leftover recipes” online for new ideas.
The key is to get creative and prevent waste from even occurring. Make preventing food waste your personal act of conservation.
