The Day I Get Schooled in Food Waste

We hear people talk about food waste, but the magnitude of that waste is beyond comprehension. On Thursday evening, a group of Greenwich community gardeners went to Stone Barns Center in Tarrytown, NY, to learn more about food waste. In the United States, roughly 40% of the food we produce gets wasted. Much of that wasted food goes not to human beings, animals or compost. It goes to landfill, where it produces methane, worsens green-house gases and hurts our planet.

Inverted food-waste pyramid,
created by National Resources Defense Council

On the agenda at Stone Barns was a showing of the documentary “Wasted: The Story of Food Waste” -- directed by Nari Kye and Anna Chai and produced and narrated by Anthony Bourdain (sob). At the core of the film is the inverted food-waste pyramid, a simple model that suggests how we can avoid and manage food waste. From top to bottom: 

• Reduce the amount of food we buy. 
• Use excess or imperfect food to feed hungry people.
• Use food waste not suited for human beings for animals and livestock.
• Convert remaining food waste into compost and renewable energy.
• As a last resort, dispose of food waste in landfills.

Two things have raised my consciousness about food waste: one, a food regimen to make and keep me healthy, and two, my community garden. The food regimen leads me to properly portioned fresh food, often bought at green markets. The community garden encourages me not only to grow my own food, but also to save scraps for the compost system at Greenwich Community Gardens. 

I deposit a fair amount of scraps in my small food bin at home every day. Six months ago, those scraps would have gone into the trash can and be sent to landfill. Baby steps, I tell myself. I am not extravagant in food purchasing or consumption, but I can do better using and reusing vegetables and fruits. Equally important, I can make an impact on food waste by reducing what I buy or consume. If I reduced by 25% to 30% the food I made, bought or ate, I venture I still would be healthy and well fed. 

I close with three points:

• "Wasted: The Story of Food Waste" was an uncomfortable wake-up call. It would be easy to say that little-bitty I cannot make a difference in mitigating this global challenge. But I am not powerless: By reducing food consumption and reusing and regenerating food waste, I can make a difference.  
• I want to know what you do about food waste. Community gardeners, how do you avoid it? Manage it? Add stories, tips and techniques to my blog. 
• As I left Stone Barns last evening, I met an artist I admire immensely: Julie Taymor, the director and visionary behind Lion King on Broadway. As she made her way to  Blue Hill Restaurant at Stone Barns, I stopped her, introduced myself and conveyed how much I admire her imagination and inventiveness. Meeting Julie Taymor was a bonus for the evening.

Ciao for now!