Global Political and Health Effects of Food Waste

Numerous households in the United States are struggling to make ends meet or have enough to eat. At the same time, it is ironical that millions of tons of food are thrown into the garbage. The collateral damage linked to the wastage goes beyond the mere reduction of potential caloric consumption among the citizen but extends to exponential loss of resources. The main reason attached to the high rate of food water is the cost of food in America than any other country in the world added to the subsidized corn, wheat, and soybeans (Barnard 87). The great American reckless production also appears to be a cultural phenomenon, which has been catalyzed by the national obsession for appealing food. Vegetables and fruits also being healthful have a propensity of bruising, wilt, or discolor a situation that an American shopper cannot abide. Shoppers cannot buy imperfect-looking vegetables as grocers also fail to stock their shelves with askew-looking wares. This forces groceries to routinely trash vegetables and fruits containing minor blemish. The issue of food waste has had numerous effects not only to in the developing nations but also the developed economies like the U.S. Groceries, restaurants and homes are throwing tons of food remnants which are perfectly edible on a daily basis (Gunders 76). However, the problem is not just with the food that is thrown but also touches on water, air pollution and greenhouse gas emission that is produced to create the food in question only to be hurled away uneaten. To understand the full effect of food waste, this paper analyzes the issue from the perspective of environment, health, and politics.

Environmental Effects

More than half of food wastage often occurs during the 'upstream' or in the process of production, yield management, and storage phase. Another part of the wastage occurs when food is processed, distributed, and through consumption. According to Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), there is no clear pattern that can be applied to evaluate the amount of food wasted on a global level. Even though the middle and higher income earners have a higher degree of food loss at the consumption level, the report shows that the developing nations are more likely to throw food at the upstream phase due to the poor harvesting techniques and inadequate infrastructure set in place (Cicatiello 97). Ideally, the later food is thrown away along the chain, the greater environmental impact it will have. This is because when the energy and natural resources expected to be used in processing, logistics, and storage is put into consideration, there is a high impact on the environment. Food waste that ends in the landfills produces a larger percentage of methane, a more hazardous greenhouse gas as compared to CO2. This high proportion of methane together with CO2 and chlorofluorocarbons soak up infrared energy, which then heats up the surface of the earth, leading to global warming and ultimately global change. This is expected to increase in the coming years as surplus growth rates are observed across the globe. More food is being produced than was previously needed to feed the world’s population. This means that the global food surplus can be used to feed the extra 1.5 billion people who have a food shortage.

The United Nations estimates that 800 million citizens distributed across the globe suffering from malnutrition can be satisfied from the food wastage and solve the world's hunger issue (Ministerrådet 165).With agricultural production comprising of 70 percent of water used across the globe, food waste also comprises a greater waster of water and grounds water bodies, which is an essential component towards environmental sustainability. A larger volume of water is utilized to produce food to the population and ends up not being used and thrown away. Throwing out a kilogram of beef, for instance, is equivalent to wasting 50,000 liters of water that is used to make the meat available for consumption. In the same line of thought, about 1200 liters of water is consumed when a glass of milk is poured down the drain. A large proportion of land is utilized for agricultural purposes to ensure that there is an equal distribution of food across the globe. It is unfortunate that this food is wasted. Similarly, a large volume of oil is used in the production, processing, and transport of food that is wasted every year.

The emission estimate that leads to global warming does not include the carbon emissions linked to the energy use in food processing, transport, and storage. This means that the food wastage carbon footprint is higher, more than 4 billion tons of what has been documented by FAO. Environmental effects of food waste are expected to increase in the coming years because of the future global energy needs, population growth, and the changing dynamics. At the same time, food surplus will continue to increase in many nations and globally.

Health Effects

With the growing population and increasing demand for food, there is a rise in the quantity of food waste that is generated in each family, grocery, or restaurant. The food waste is finally thrown to the waste collection centers where it is collected to be further deposited into landfills and dumps. Nevertheless, as a result of resource inadequacies and inadequate resources, some food waste is not collected and deposited to the dumpsites. In case the management and disposal are not done well, it leads to numerous health impacts. Improper food waste management especially the excreta and other liquid and solid food waste from homes and community causes a dangerous health hazard and leads to a blowout of contagious diseases (Block et al. 295). The unattended food waste appeals to flies, rodents and other creatures that ultimately spread infections. Wet food waste decomposes and releases lousy odor, leading to unhealthy conditions.

Those at risk from the unempirical dumping of waste include people in areas with improper waste disposal approaches, specifically the pre-school children, those tasked to manage the waste, and those employed to work within facilities that produce toxic materials. Population residing close to the waste dumps sites and those whose water supply facilities are also at risk. Contamination arises because of the waste dumped or leakages from landfill areas. The uncollected food waste also increased the risk of one getting an infection or picking an injury.

Organic food waste poses significant health threats because they ferment, causing conditions which catalyze the growth and development of microbial bacteria. Direct contact with food waste can lead to numerous forms of infection to the people living around and chronic diseases. Exposure to dangerous waste can have a health effect on children who are more susceptible to the toxins (Bloom 54). In other words, the direct contact can lead to infections through the chemical contact as the discharge of the chemical components from the food waste causes chemical poisoning (Morone 76). There is a strong correlation between health and food waste.

Uncollected food waste can block rainwater runoff leading to the formation of still water that later becomes the breeding for diseases such as malaria and bilharzia. When food waste is dumped near water areas, there is a high chance of pollution of a water body or even the water source. When food waste is directly dumped into water bodies such as river or lake, there is an accumulation of toxins in plants and animals that feed on it. This is overtime transferred to the human body. Recycling done from food waste if not done correctly has health hazards. Workers who work with waste containing chemical components may be exposed to toxic chemicals, which lead to health implication. At the same time, rag pickers who scavenge in the food waste to source what can be reprocessed may sustain severe harms and contact infections in the process.

Political Effects

Across the globe, food waste has been increasingly seen as a serious political issue. With numerous families operating on tight budgets and the increasing global population every year, there is a need for governments to undertake intensive awareness of the resources used to produce food that is thrown away. Business ventures, government agencies, and activists across the globe are working to ensure that what is thrown away is put in the garbage and the less edible food is sent to garbage cans. It is believed that food wastage transpires as a result of the local-global relationship added with the existing bargaining power of retail chains. When money cannot be extracted from branded food products in the retails, it is seen as a waste, and this is a contentious issue (Thi et al. 224). It is evident that a larger portion of food waste is experienced with the retailers who reject items they believe are not appealing to their customers. However, the single biggest source of food waste occurs in homes, where half of the uneaten food is thrown into the dustbin and finally to the landfills.

A significant portion of food waste is witnessed at the consumer level due to the responsibility that is passed onto the consumer by the local and national government to form their food supply chains. For instance, food waste can increase as a result of the large portion size, which is given to consumers by the food manufacturing industries, specifically for foods that spoil faster after a package is opened. The concept behind the political economy in the food waste context is that there is cheap wage with cheap food due to the nature of labor evaluation of the capitalist market. This means that the local and national governments pay migrants low wages and use them in harvesting, food supply, and general labor in the food production sector. This had made the food prices to remain low, except in the case when there is a climatic disruption. The provision of low-cost food has been done without putting into consideration the environmental externalities in the large food producing industries and the subsidies that are set to keep their businesses competitive and dominant in the market (Barnard 61). In the end, governments fail to sustain the low-cost food and opt to borrow to sustain their economic development.

The type of market where the government uses cheap labor to produce cheap food creates a wrong perception that organic food or food produced under a smaller scale is expensive compared to the industrially produced food. In actual sense, it is the reflection of the true value of the process combined to make that food available in the market for final consumption. This, therefore, indicates that food processors and the retail operations can throw food in case it fails to meet their high standards. Consumers also throw food whey they forget to use it when they become increasingly busy and opt for takeout food. There is a need therefore for the local and national governments to undertake awareness on the value of food and minimize food wastage.

Conclusion

Food waste has been a major issue in the United States. When there are millions of households struggling to make ends meet or have enough to eat, it is ironical that millions of tons of food are thrown into the garbage. However, according to Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), there is no clear pattern that can be applied to evaluate the amount of food wasted on a global level. As a result of this, there has been a significant impact on health, politics, and environment. Food waste is deposited in the landfills and fails to decompose, thereby producing methane, a greenhouse gas that more heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide. Some food waste has chemical components that are released into the atmosphere causing health effects to those leaving the landfills. Similarly, when the waste is deposited in waters sources, the water is later used in irrigation or by sea animals, which are consumed leading to health complications. Similarly, food wastage has transpired as a result of the local-global relationship added with the existing bargaining power of retail chains.