Wasteful Figures The UK is challenging a European Commission goal of halving food waste by 2020, which is claimed to be 89 million tons annually. Part of the British query is why this is a significant issue. A WPI curiosity is why the European waste number is so much larger than the estimate for their American counterparts. The latest U.S. estimate is 1.8 million tons wasted in processing and retail (excluding waste in home kitchens). Moreover, U.S. industry says that 73 percent of its waste goes to animal feed and 20 percent to fertilizer use. In the end, it is all about economics. There is less waste where food is precious and consequently costs take a larger share of income. That is hardly a desirable policy solution. Precious Meat...

TAGS – Livestock, Farm Inputs, Australia, Asia, North America