It's time to get serious about food waste in fight against global heating | Dave Lewis

It is responsible for 8% of emissions, yet food waste is not mentioned in any country's Paris climate action planAs a society, we are converting more and more land to food production, with massive consequences for wildlife, water and forests. Yet one third of all food produced is thrown away and food waste is responsible for a staggering 8% of all global greenhouse gas emissions, more than any country in the world bar the US and China. This is an environmental disaster but it is a social and economic one, too, when more than 800 million people are undernourished and food waste costs the global economy $940bn (?737bn) each year.The effects of climate change are already being felt, in droughts, fires and extreme temperatures. But while climate is high on the agenda, the role food waste plays is not. Not enough companies are making financial disclosures related to climate or food waste. And not a single country mentions food waste in its nationally determined contribution (NDC) to the Paris climate agreement, each country's plan to keep climate change in check. That must change. If we continue to waste good food at current levels, we will fatally undermine our ability to tackle the climate emergency. Continue reading...