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Half of all US food produce is thrown away, new research suggests

MickeyW

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Americans throw away almost as much food as they eat because of a “cult of perfection”, deepening hunger and poverty, and inflicting a heavy toll on the environment.

Vast quantities of fresh produce grown in the US are left in the field to rot, fed to livestock or hauled directly from the field to landfill, because of unrealistic and unyielding cosmetic standards, according to official data and interviews with dozens of farmers, packers, truckers, researchers, campaigners and government officials.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/jul/13/us-food-waste-ugly-fruit-vegetables-perfect
 
Americans throw away almost as much food as they eat because of a “cult of perfection”, deepening hunger and poverty, and inflicting a heavy toll on the environment.

Vast quantities of fresh produce grown in the US are left in the field to rot, fed to livestock or hauled directly from the field to landfill, because of unrealistic and unyielding cosmetic standards, according to official data and interviews with dozens of farmers, packers, truckers, researchers, campaigners and government officials.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/jul/13/us-food-waste-ugly-fruit-vegetables-perfect

Where we live in Germany, the strawberry fields weren't harvested, because at the minimum wage the berries were too expensive. Here in Spain a friend has about the same problem and allows people to take as much as they like, if they are willing to do the picking themselves.
 
Well, when you're on a tight food budget, which apple are you going to buy, the one that looks to be perfect or the one that is not yet ripe and has a worm hole?
 
Americans throw away almost as much food as they eat because of a “cult of perfection”, deepening hunger and poverty, and inflicting a heavy toll on the environment.

Vast quantities of fresh produce grown in the US are left in the field to rot, fed to livestock or hauled directly from the field to landfill, because of unrealistic and unyielding cosmetic standards, according to official data and interviews with dozens of farmers, packers, truckers, researchers, campaigners and government officials.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/jul/13/us-food-waste-ugly-fruit-vegetables-perfect

The problem might be distribution. Or that by discounting the imperfect, the farmer mindset might be that he is undercutting his own crop.

Prisons don't care about produce cosmetics. Why would nursing homes, homeless shelters, schools, our military, any institution that preps food out of the public eye?

I think there's more to this problem than meets the eye, frankly.
 
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Perhaps a new platform for the anti SNAP/anti feeding the hungry crowd could be pushing through laws stating that the poor and hungry must harvest fields of food if they want to eat..
 
Perhaps a new platform for the anti SNAP/anti feeding the hungry crowd could be pushing through laws stating that the poor and hungry must harvest fields of food if they want to eat..

Wow, not a bad idea. It's what we used to do when I was a young one. For a little work in the field we came away with months work of meals. In fact there are gleaning groups all over now.
 
Wow, not a bad idea. It's what we used to do when I was a young one. For a little work in the field we came away with months work of meals. In fact there are gleaning groups all over now.
yeah I figured you'd think that's a good idea. Get the elderly, disabled and little children out there too. Let em' work for that handout. Damn moochers.
 
Ironically the food that looks perfect has about as much nutrition as a sock.
 
Well, when you're on a tight food budget, which apple are you going to buy, the one that looks to be perfect or the one that is not yet ripe and has a worm hole?

If you take the one with the worm, you get protein with your fiber. ;) A twofer.

The problem might be distribution. Or that by discounting the imperfect, the farmer mindset might be that he is undercutting his own crop.

Prisons don't care about produce cosmetics. Why would homes, homeless shelters, schools, our military, any institution that preps food out of the public eye?

I think there's more to this problem than meets the eye, frankly.

Could be.

When I was a kid, my Dad knew a grower in Gilroy, Ca. who leased large pieces of land and sold his tomatoes, cucumbers, corn, etc to the canneries.
When the pickers were done and had picked all the produce "suitable" for the canneries, he'd call my Dad and we would take the pickup down there and pick to our hearts content.
Every year, we filled the pickup with good produce. Some we ate fresh, but most we canned. Lots of whole tomatoes and tomato sauce, Kosher dill pickles to die for, fresh and frozen corn and other stuff.

Same thing in Mountain View with the fruit growers, cherries, peaches, prunes, apricots, etc.

As a kid, I didn't like getting up before dawn and driving there and spending hours in the field or orchards, picking crops. I had girl friends in the hood to play with.

But, in hindsight, it built character and now the memories of the cool morning air, the fresh pungent produce, working in the fields and orchards, visiting some horses and cows, all formed my childhood.
 
Ironically the food that looks perfect has about as much nutrition as a sock.

Where are you getting that? Figuring in the protein of the worm aren't you? :mrgreen:
 
yeah I figured you'd think that's a good idea. Get the elderly, disabled and little children out there too. Let em' work for that handout. Damn moochers.

You must have really lived a pampered life for one I always thought to be about my age (65). Bet you never had to shuck an ear in your life.
 
The problem might be distribution. Or that by discounting the imperfect, the farmer mindset might be that he is undercutting his own crop.

Prisons don't care about produce cosmetics. Why would nursing homes, homeless shelters, schools, our military, any institution that preps food out of the public eye?

I think there's more to this problem than meets the eye, frankly.

It basically comes down to cost of transportation and government regulations. In order to utilize it has to be moved further much of the produce has a limited shelf life and requires refrigeration. This limits options of what you can do with it. There is also government regulations that are not very forgiving as well.

I don't understand why produce fed to livestock is considered a negative though.
 
It basically comes down to cost of transportation and government regulations. In order to utilize it has to be moved further much of the produce has a limited shelf life and requires refrigeration. This limits options of what you can do with it. There is also government regulations that are not very forgiving as well.

I don't understand why produce fed to livestock is considered a negative though.

Great point re livestock feed.
 
Perhaps a new platform for the anti SNAP/anti feeding the hungry crowd could be pushing through laws stating that the poor and hungry must harvest fields of food if they want to eat..

Excellent idea. They ought to be working in the slaughter houses too, so they can see that meat isn't made at the grocery store.
 
Where are you getting that? Figuring in the protein of the worm aren't you? :mrgreen:

Food is genetically modified to last longer and sell by looking / tasting good, the nutritional value is declining.
Like everything else in a Capitalist society they only thing that really matters is profit.

Worms are very nutritious.

Modern Fruits and Vegetables Are Less Nutritious
 
yeah I figured you'd think that's a good idea. Get the elderly, disabled and little children out there too. Let em' work for that handout. Damn moochers.


Actually that aint a half bad idea. A little work doesn't hurt anyone. Picking your own vegetables and fruit is a very
 
You must have really lived a pampered life for one I always thought to be about my age (65). Bet you never had to shuck an ear in your life.
On the contrary, my mother had me washing out my own laundry in the bathtub over one of those old-fashioned scrubboards. I'm just fortunate enough to have the ability to sympathize and empathize with people. Something that seems to be a lacking trait of those who lean right.
 
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Actually that aint a half bad idea. A little work doesn't hurt anyone. Picking your own vegetables and fruit is a very

Maybe take a step further and indenture them. Until every penny that they've taken from taxpayers for food has been repaid..
 
On the contrary, my mother had me washing out my own laundry in the bathtub over one of those old-fashioned scrubboards. I'm just fortunate enough to have the ability to sympathize and empathize with people. Something that seems to be a lacking trait of those who lean right.


I am afraid your empathetic abilities are much more limited than you seem to realize.
 
Maybe take a step further and indenture them. Until every penny that they've taken from taxpayers for food has been repaid..

We have to work for the taxes we use to pay for their food, so why shouldn't they have to work?
 
On the contrary, my mother had me washing out my own laundry in the bathtub over one of those old-fashioned scrubboards. I'm just fortunate enough to have the ability to sympathize and empathize with people. Something that seems to be a lacking trait of those who lean right.

Your sympathy/empathy is broken. It's not meant to be a substitute for actual help. The Sally Struthers approach isn't cutting it. What's your problem with gleaning? My guess is that you don't understand that people do that, have always done that and the modern "sympathetic" approach often takes that option off the table.

Face it, you want the control involved in giving the man a fish. Heaven forbid he should learn to fish and not need your "sympathy".
 
Your sympathy/empathy is broken. It's not meant to be a substitute for actual help. The Sally Struthers approach isn't cutting it. What's your problem with gleaning? My guess is that you don't understand that people do that, have always done that and the modern "sympathetic" approach often takes that option off the table.

Face it, you want the control involved in giving the man a fish. Heaven forbid he should learn to fish and not need your "sympathy".

When I was a child, My mother paid was on SNAP for 2 years. She received a serious injury at the factory that she worked at and then they fired her. She paid into that system her whole working life. And without it we wouldn't of ate. It's utterly horrendous that right-wingers prefer children and those that need just need help for whatever reason go hungry than have a nationwide system in place that feeds them. That system put food in my stomach when I was a child.
 
It basically comes down to cost of transportation and government regulations. In order to utilize it has to be moved further much of the produce has a limited shelf life and requires refrigeration. This limits options of what you can do with it. There is also government regulations that are not very forgiving as well.

I don't understand why produce fed to livestock is considered a negative though.

Me either.

Food is genetically modified to last longer and sell by looking / tasting good, the nutritional value is declining.
Like everything else in a Capitalist society they only thing that really matters is profit.

Worms are very nutritious.

Modern Fruits and Vegetables Are Less Nutritious

That's why we bought Non-GMO seeds to plant in our large garden. Out garden property is 100 feet X 40 feet and loaded with veggies, 3 types of berries and fruit trees.

On the contrary, my mother had me washing out my own laundry in the bathtub over one of those old-fashioned scrubboards. I'm just fortunate enough to have the ability to sympathize and empathize with people. Something that seems to be a lacking trait of those who lean right.

I remember those. We had one that had a green tint to the board and a wooden frame.

That is the liberal trap.

Yes it is....
 
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