Grain loss on the U.S. farm is less than 2 percent compared to 10 percent in some countries in Africa and Asia, says Harvest Public Media in its series about food waste. Thanks to good storage facilities, a speedy transport web and efficient harvesting practices, loss and wastage is low on U.S. farms and throughout the developed world. A UN report says 40 percent of food waste in developed countries is at the retail or consumer level while in developing countries, 40 percent of food waste is on the farm or during processing. An ISU professor says the on-farm losses in developing countries could be from 25-30 percent.
Another of the stories says schools can reduce the amount of cafeteria food that goes uneaten by letting students choose which vegetables or fruits to put on their trays. Other techniques that work are giving students a voice in healthy menus and in giving vegetables attractive names, such as “super power cauliflower.” Food waste dropped by 30 percent when schools scheduled recess before lunch rather than afterward.
The series, “Tossed out: Food waste in America,” is available here.