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The Climate Question: Why can't we crack our food waste problem?

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02/05/2021 GMT

Why can't we crack our food waste problem?

BBC World Service - The Climate Question, Why can't we crack our food waste problem?

From field to fork, food waste is accelerating climate change

From field to fork, food waste is accelerating climate change, so why can’t we stop it? If we did, greenhouse gas emissions would reduce by about eight percent.

From fruit rotting in fields, to retailers turning down funny shaped vegetables, and consumers scraping leftovers into the bin, food waste is everywhere. It’s estimated that around a third of all our food ends up not being eaten. If we could sort this, total greenhouse gas emissions would reduce by around eight percent. To put that in context, the only countries that are responsible for emissions of that size are China and the US.   

So, what can be done? Graihagh Jackson and Jordan Dunbar discuss fixes -  big and small - and hear from a farmer in Morocco turning apples that would otherwise rot into vinegar. The first thing that needs to happen for change to start is for governments to properly count the climate cost of food waste. And that, it seems, is a long way off.   

Guests: 
Dr Tammara Soma - Research director of the Food Systems Lab at Simon Fraser University
Dr Liz Goodwin - Senior fellow and director in food loss and waste at the World Resources Institute 
Mahacine Mokdad – journalist 

Presenters: Jordan Dunbar & Graihagh Jackson 
Producer: Olivia Noon 
Editor: Emma Rippon

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