One of the most pressing issues facing the world today is climate change. We have all heard the term floating around, but what does it actually mean? Climate change is defined as a change in global climate patterns resulting from a number of different sources. A source of this drastic and fast-approaching global problem — one that is not always mentioned in related conversations — is food waste. Worldwide, humans waste one of every three food calories produced; and this wasted food is enough to feed roughly three billion people. Aligning with the humanitarian crisis of not being able to transport food to those who need it most, wasted food represents about eight percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. While eight percent may not seem like an amount that should be considered as significant, food waste has severe consequences on the environment, serving as a main contributor to deforestation and the depletion of water sources.
Food waste happens at all levels of food production and disbursement, including harvest, processing, retail and consumer levels — meaning that the fault is not all on the shoulders of the consumer. However, food is more likely to be wasted in the later stages of the supply chain in developed countries, such as the United States of America — over 40 percent, to be exact. This tendency indicates that harvesting and processing of food in our country is relatively efficient and does not produce as much waste as other countries. This means that retail — such as supermarkets and restaurants — and consumers — such as households and college campuses — actually do have a significant impact on the amount of food wasted in the United States.
As many students and staff are aware, Greenhouse hosted a food audit during Thursday dinner of last week where all the food waste generated by the College community was collected and weighed, as we have done several times in the past. One purpose of these food audits is to ascertain the average amount of food the College campus wastes, using the “Breakfast for Dinner” meal as the control. The other, much more important purpose of these food audits is to put pressure on the campus rather than individuals to realize how much food is wasted at just one meal and what measures can be taken to decrease the amount of food wasted. While the food that is not eaten by students is sent to a plant where it is converted into energy to be used for other purposes, the global concern of reducing food waste still persists.
Climate change is a dangerous and important issue that is not dependent on country, race or gender; it affects everybody no matter where you live. The College of Wooster is no different, and if we want to maintain our wonderful campus, we must take action. While food audits are a visible reminder to the College about the amount of food being wasted, the real choice resides with each one of us to reduce our carbon footprint and keep our earth healthy.
Anna Schroeder, a Contributing Writer for the Voice, can be reached for comment at ASchroeder21@wooster.edu.